士师底波拉

以笏死后,以色列人又做耶和华视为恶的事。 耶和华把他们交在统治夏琐的迦南王耶宾手中。耶宾王的将军叫西西拉,住在夏罗设。 耶宾王拥有九百辆铁战车,他残暴地压迫以色列人二十年。以色列人向耶和华呼求。

当时做士师的是一位名叫底波拉的女先知,她是拉比多的妻子, 经常坐在以法莲山区拉玛和伯特利之间的底波拉棕树下,审理以色列人的事情。 她派人去拿弗他利的基低斯召来亚比挪庵的儿子巴拉,对他说:“以色列的上帝耶和华命你率领一万拿弗他利人和西布伦人上他泊山。 祂必使耶宾的将军西西拉率领全军和战车到基顺河与你交战,祂必把西西拉交在你手中。” 巴拉回答说:“你跟我去,我就去;你不跟我去,我就不去。” 底波拉说:“好,我一定与你同去。不过,你这次出征一定得不到荣耀,因为耶和华要把西西拉交在一名妇人手上。”于是,他们一同前往基低斯。 10 巴拉招聚了一万名拿弗他利人和西布伦人,底波拉与他一起出征。

11 摩西的岳父何巴的后人基尼人希百离开自己的族人,在基低斯附近撒拿音的橡树旁搭帐篷居住。

12 西西拉得知亚比挪庵的儿子巴拉已经上了他泊山, 13 便召集全军和九百辆铁战车离开夏罗设,向基顺河进军。 14 底波拉对巴拉说:“出击吧!今天耶和华要把西西拉交在你手中。看啊,耶和华已经率先出战了!”于是,巴拉率领一万人下了他泊山, 15 进攻西西拉。耶和华使西西拉的战车和军队惊慌失措,败在巴拉刀下。西西拉弃车徒步逃跑, 16 巴拉追击他的战车和军队,直到夏罗设。西西拉全军都死于刀下,无一幸免。

17 只有西西拉一人徒步逃到基尼人希百的妻子雅亿的帐篷,因为耶宾王和希百家向来友好。 18 雅亿出来迎接西西拉,对他说:“我主,请进,不用怕!”西西拉便走进帐篷,雅亿为他盖上毯子。 19 西西拉说:“我口渴,请给我一点水吧。”雅亿打开皮袋给他奶喝,然后又给他盖上毯子。 20 西西拉又说:“请你守着门口,倘若有人查问,你就说没人来过这里。” 21 西西拉因疲劳过度,沉沉入睡。雅亿乘机拿起锤子和一根帐篷的橛子,悄悄地走到他身旁,把橛子钉进他的太阳穴,直插到地里。西西拉就这样死了。 22 巴拉追来了,雅亿出来迎接他,对他说:“你找的人在这里,进来看看吧。”巴拉和她进了帐篷,见西西拉死在那里,太阳穴上还插着橛子。

23 那天,上帝使以色列人战胜了迦南王耶宾。 24 以色列人越战越勇,最终消灭了耶宾王。

Пророчица Девора

После того как Ехуд умер, исраильтяне снова стали творить зло в глазах Вечного. И Вечный отдал их в руки Иавина, царя Ханаана, который правил в городе Хацоре. Начальником его войска был Сисара, который жил в Харошет-Гоиме. У него было девятьсот железных колесниц, и он двадцать лет жестоко притеснял исраильтян. Поэтому они воззвали к Вечному о помощи.

В то время судьёй в Исраиле была пророчица Девора, жена Лаппидота. Она сидела под пальмой Деворы, между Рамой и Вефилем в нагорьях Ефраима, и исраильтяне приходили к ней решать свои тяжбы. Она послала за Вараком, сыном Авиноама, из Кедеша, что в земле Неффалима, и сказала ему:

– Вечный, Бог Исраила, повелевает тебе: «Иди, возьми с собой десять тысяч человек из родов Неффалима и Завулона, и веди их на гору Фавор. Я приведу Сисару, начальника войска Иавина, с его колесницами и воинами к реке Кишону и отдам его в твои руки».

Варак сказал ей:

– Если ты пойдёшь со мной, то пойду и я, а если ты со мной не пойдёшь, то и я не пойду.

– Хорошо, – сказала Девора, – я пойду с тобой. Но тогда этот путь не приведёт тебя к славе, потому что Вечный отдаст Сисару в руки женщины.

И Девора пошла с Вараком в Кедеш, 10 где он призвал Завулона и Неффалима. За ним последовало десять тысяч человек, и Девора также пошла с ним.

11 Кеней Хевер отделился от остальных кенеев, потомков Ховава, шурина Мусы, и разбил свой шатёр у великого дерева, что в Цаананниме, рядом с Кедешем.

12 Когда Сисаре донесли, что Варак, сын Авиноама, поднялся на гору Фавор, 13 Сисара собрал свои девятьсот железных колесниц и всех своих людей из Харошет-Гоима возле реки Кишона. 14 Тогда Девора сказала Вараку:

– Иди! Это день, когда Вечный отдал Сисару в твои руки. Разве сам Вечный не идёт перед тобой?

И Варак спустился с горы Фавор, а вслед за ним десять тысяч человек. 15 Вечный привёл Сисару, и все его колесницы, и войско в замешательство перед Вараком, и Сисара, сойдя с колесницы, бежал пешим. 16 А Варак преследовал колесницы и войско до самого Харошет-Гоима. Все воины Сисары пали от меча, никого не осталось в живых.

17 Но Сисара побежал к шатру Иаили, жены кенея Хевера, потому что между Иавином, царём Хацора, и кланом кенея Хевера был мир. 18 Иаиль вышла Сисаре навстречу и сказала ему:

– Заходи, мой господин, заходи ко мне. Не бойся.

Он вошёл в её шатёр, и она укрыла его ковром.

19 – Я хочу пить, – сказал он. – Пожалуйста, дай мне воды.

Она открыла бурдюк с молоком, дала ему напиться и укрыла его.

20 – Встань у входа в шатёр, – сказал он ей. – Если кто-нибудь придёт и спросит у тебя: «Есть ли кто здесь?» – скажи: «Нет».

21 Но Иаиль, жена Хевера, взяла кол от шатра и молоток и тихо подошла к Сисаре, когда он, утомившись, уснул. Она пронзила ему висок так, что приколола его к земле, и он умер. 22 Когда появился Варак, который гнался за Сисарой, Иаиль вышла к нему навстречу.

– Идём, – сказала она, – я покажу тебе человека, которого ты ищешь.

Он вошёл в её шатёр – там лежал мёртвый Сисара, и висок его был пронзён колом.

23 В тот день Аллах даровал исраильтянам победу над ханаанским царём Иавином. 24 И рука исраильтян над ним становилась всё сильнее и сильнее, пока они не уничтожили его.

Deborah

Again the Israelites did evil(A) in the eyes of the Lord,(B) now that Ehud(C) was dead. So the Lord sold them(D) into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.(E) Sisera,(F) the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron(G) and had cruelly oppressed(H) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

Now Deborah,(I) a prophet,(J) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. She held court(K) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah(L) and Bethel(M) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam(N) from Kedesh(O) in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali(P) and Zebulun(Q) and lead them up to Mount Tabor.(R) I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s(S) army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River(T) and give him into your hands.(U)’”

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.(V) 10 There Barak summoned(W) Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites,(X) the descendants of Hobab,(Y) Moses’ brother-in-law,[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree(Z) in Zaanannim(AA) near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,(AB) 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River(AC) all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.(AD)

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.(AE) Has not the Lord gone ahead(AF) of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed(AG) Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left.(AH) 17 Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael,(AI) the wife of Heber the Kenite,(AJ) because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor(AK) and the family of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael(AL) went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19 “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk,(AM) gave him a drink, and covered him up.

20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’”

21 But Jael,(AN) Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep,(AO) exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.(AP)

22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael(AQ) went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.(AR)

23 On that day God subdued(AS) Jabin(AT) king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 4:4 Traditionally judging
  2. Judges 4:11 Or father-in-law

Deborah and Barak

After the death of Ehud, the Israelites again started disobeying the Lord. So the Lord let the Canaanite King Jabin of Hazor conquer Israel. Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, lived in Harosheth-Ha-Goiim. Jabin's army had 900 iron chariots, and for 20 years he made life miserable for the Israelites, until finally they begged the Lord for help.

Deborah the wife of Lappidoth was a prophet and a leader[a] of Israel during those days. She would sit under Deborah's Palm Tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where Israelites would come and ask her to settle their legal cases.

One day, Barak the son of Abinoam was in Kedesh in Naphtali, and Deborah sent word for him to come and talk with her. When he arrived, she said:

I have a message for you from the Lord God of Israel! You are to get together an army of 10,000 men from the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes and lead them to Mount Tabor. The Lord will trick Sisera into coming out to fight you at the Kishon River. Sisera will be leading King Jabin's army as usual, and they will have their chariots, but the Lord has promised to help you defeat them.

“I'm not going unless you go!” Barak told her.

“All right, I'll go!” she replied. “But I'm warning you that the Lord is going to let a woman defeat Sisera, and no one will honor you for winning the battle.”

Deborah and Barak left for Kedesh, 10 where Barak called together the troops from Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand soldiers gathered there, and Barak led them out from Kedesh. Deborah went too.

11 At this time, Heber of the Kenite clan was living near the village of Oak in Zaanannim,[b] not far from Kedesh. The Kenites were descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, but Heber had moved and had set up his tents away from the rest of the clan.

12 When Sisera learned that Barak had led an army to Mount Tabor, 13 he called his troops together and got all 900 iron chariots ready. Then he led his army away from Harosheth-Ha-Goiim to the Kishon River.

14 Deborah shouted, “Barak, it's time to attack Sisera! Because today the Lord is going to help you defeat him. In fact, the Lord has already gone on ahead to fight for you.”

Barak led his 10,000 troops down from Mount Tabor. 15 And during the battle, the Lord confused Sisera, his chariot drivers, and his whole army. Everyone was so afraid of Barak and his army, that even Sisera jumped down from his chariot and tried to escape. 16 Barak's forces went after Sisera's chariots and army as far as Harosheth-Ha-Goiim.

Sisera's entire army was wiped out. 17 Only Sisera escaped. He ran to Heber's camp, because Heber and his family had a peace treaty with the king of Hazor. Sisera went to the tent that belonged to Jael, Heber's wife. 18 She came out to greet him and said, “Come in, sir! Please come on in. Don't be afraid.”

After they had gone inside, Sisera lay down, and Jael covered him with a blanket. 19 “Could I have a little water?” he asked. “I'm thirsty.”

Jael opened a leather bottle and poured him some milk, then she covered him back up.

20 “Stand at the entrance to the tent,” Sisera told her. “If someone comes by and asks if anyone is inside, tell them ‘No.’ ”

21 Sisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died.

22 Meanwhile, Barak had been following Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “The man you're looking for is inside,” she said. “Come in and I'll show him to you.”

They went inside, and there was Sisera—dead and stretched out with a tent-peg through his skull.

23 That same day God defeated the Canaanite King Jabin while the Israelites looked on, and his army was no longer powerful enough to attack the Israelites. 24 Jabin grew weaker while the Israelites kept growing stronger, until at last the Israelites destroyed him.

Footnotes

  1. 4.4 leader: See 2.16 and the note there.
  2. 4.11 the village … Zaanannim: Or “the oak tree in the town of Zaanannim.”