Judges 3:7-11

New International Version

Othniel

⁷The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord^(A) their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.^(B) ⁸The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold^(C) them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim^(D) king of Aram Naharaim,^[a]^(E) to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. ⁹But when they cried out^(F) to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer,^(G) Othniel^(H) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. ¹⁰The Spirit of the Lord came on him,^(I) so that he became Israel’s judge^[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim^(J) king of Aram^(K) into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. ¹¹So the land had peace^(L) for forty years,^(M) until Othniel son of Kenaz^(N) died.

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Footnotes

Judges 3:8 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
Judges 3:10 Or leader

Judges 5:1-11

New International Version

The Song of Deborah

5 On that day Deborah^(A) and Barak son of Abinoam^(B) sang this song:^(C)

²“When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer^(D) themselves—
praise the Lord!^(E)

³“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I, even I, will sing to^[a] the Lord;^(F)
I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.^(G)

⁴“When you, Lord, went out^(H) from Seir,^(I)
    when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook,^(J) the heavens poured,
    the clouds poured down water.^(K)
⁵The mountains quaked^(L) before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁶“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,^(M)
    in the days of Jael,^(N) the highways^(O) were abandoned;
    travelers took to winding paths.^(P)
⁷Villagers in Israel would not fight;
    they held back until I, Deborah,^(Q) arose,
    until I arose, a mother in Israel.
⁸God chose new leaders^(R)
    when war came to the city gates,^(S)
but not a shield or spear^(T) was seen
    among forty thousand in Israel.
⁹My heart is with Israel’s princes,
    with the willing volunteers^(U) among the people.
    Praise the Lord!

¹⁰“You who ride on white donkeys,^(V)
    sitting on your saddle blankets,
    and you who walk along the road,
consider ¹¹the voice of the singers^[b] at the watering places.
    They recite the victories^(W) of the Lord,
    the victories of his villagers in Israel.