Judges 4
World English Bible
4 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when Ehud was dead. 2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years. 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time. 5 She lived under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7 I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.’”
8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
9 She said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the journey that you take won’t be for your honor; for Yahweh will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him; and Deborah went up with him. 11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh. 12 They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.
14 Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t Yahweh gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15 Yahweh confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left.
17 However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
19 He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.”
She opened a container of milk, and gave him a drink, and covered him.
20 He said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’”
21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died. 22 Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples. 23 So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel on that day. 24 The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
Judges 4
Lexham English Bible
Deborah and Barak
4 And again the Israelites[a] did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Ehud died. 2 So Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, and he was living in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 And the Israelites[b] cried to Yahweh, as he had nine hundred iron chariots,[c] and he oppressed the Israelites[d] cruelly[e] for twenty years.[f]
4 Now at that time Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging[g] Israel. 5 And she used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites[h] went up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and called for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh Naphtali and said to him, “Has not Yahweh the God of Israel commanded you? ‘Go, march to[i] Mount Tabor, and take ten thousand men from the descendants[j] of Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 I will draw out[k] Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and troops, to the wadi[l] of Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you do not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She said, “Surely I will go with you; however, there will be no glory for you in the path you are taking,[m] for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” And Deborah stood up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and they went up behind him,[n] ten thousand men, and Deborah went up with him.
11 And Heber the Kenite was separated from the other Kenites,[o] that is, from the descendants[p] of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses. And he was encamped[q] at Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
12 When they[r] reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned all his chariots—all nine hundred chariots[s] of iron—and the entire army that was with him from Harosheth Haggoyim to the wadi[t] of Kishon. 14 And Deborah said to Barak, “Get up! This is the day that Yahweh has given Sisera into your hand. Has Yahweh not gone out before you?” So Barak went out from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And Yahweh threw Sisera and all his chariots and army into confusion[u] before the edge of Barak’s sword;[v] and Sisera dismounted from his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots[w] and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all of Sisera’s army fell to the edge of the sword;[x] no one was left.
17 Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael came out to meet Sisera, and she said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me and do not be afraid.” So he turned aside into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.[y] 19 And he said to her, “Please, give me a drink of water, because I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin vessel of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the doorway of the tent, and if anyone comes and asks you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ You must answer, ‘No.’” 21 But Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, took in her hand a tent peg and a hammer, and she went softly[z] to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; he was fast asleep since he was exhausted, and he died. 22 And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him, and she said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he came with her and saw that Sisera was lying dead with the peg in his temple. 23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.[aa] 24 And the hand of the Israelites[ab] pressed harder[ac] and harder on Jabin king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
Footnotes
- Judges 4:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 4:3 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 4:3 Hebrew “chariot”
- Judges 4:3 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 4:3 Literally “with force”
- Judges 4:3 Hebrew “year”
- Judges 4:4 Or “leading”
- Judges 4:5 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 4:6 Literally “take the lead at”
- Judges 4:6 Or “sons/children”
- Judges 4:7 Literally “I will draw to you”
- Judges 4:7 A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
- Judges 4:9 Or “the way you are going”
- Judges 4:10 Literally “they went up in his feet”
- Judges 4:11 Hebrew “Kenite”
- Judges 4:11 Or “sons/children”
- Judges 4:11 Literally “he spread his tent”
- Judges 4:12 The subject is not specified in Hebrew
- Judges 4:13 Hebrew “chariot”
- Judges 4:13 A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
- Judges 4:15 Or “routed Sisera and all his chariots and army”
- Judges 4:15 Literally “the mouth of the sword before Barak”
- Judges 4:16 Hebrew “chariot”
- Judges 4:16 Literally “the mouth of the sword”
- Judges 4:18 Literally “with a covering/rug”
- Judges 4:21 Or “secretly”
- Judges 4:23 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 4:24 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 4:24 Literally “went harder”
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