Deborah

4 Again the Israelites did evil^(A) in the eyes of the Lord,^(B) now that Ehud^(C) was dead. ² 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. ³ 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.

⁴ Now Deborah,^(I) a prophet,^(J) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading^[a] Israel at that time. ⁵ 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. ⁶ 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) 7} 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)’”

⁸ Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

⁹ “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)

The Song of Deborah

5 On that day Deborah^(AV) and Barak son of Abinoam^(AW) sang this song:^(AX)

Then the land had peace^(DH) forty years.

Gideon

6 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,^(DI) and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.^{(DJ) 2} Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,^(DK) the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves^(DL) and strongholds.^{(DM) 3} Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites^(DN) and other eastern peoples^(DO) invaded the country. ⁴ They camped on the land and ruined the crops^(DP) all the way to Gaza^(DQ) and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. ⁵ They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts.^(DR) It was impossible to count them or their camels;^(DS) they invaded the land to ravage it. ⁶ Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out^(DT) to the Lord for help.

⁷ When the Israelites cried out^(DU) to the Lord because of Midian, ⁸ he sent them a prophet,^(DV) who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt,^(DW) out of the land of slavery.^{(DX) 9} I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors;^(DY) I drove them out before you and gave you their land.^{(DZ) 10} I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship^(EA) the gods of the Amorites,^(EB) in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

¹¹ The angel of the Lord^(EC) came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah^(ED) that belonged to Joash^(EE) the Abiezrite,^(EF) where his son Gideon^(EG) was threshing^(EH) wheat in a winepress^(EI) to keep it from the Midianites. ¹² When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,^(EJ) mighty warrior.^(EK)”

¹³ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders^(EL) that our ancestors told^(EM) us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned^(EN) us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have^(EO) and save^(EP) Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

¹⁵ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan^(EQ) is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.^(ER)”

¹⁶ The Lord answered, “I will be with you^(ES), and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

¹⁷ Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign^(ET) that it is really you talking to me. ¹⁸ Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”

And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

¹⁹ Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat,^(EU) and from an ephah^[g](EV) of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.^(EW)

²⁰ The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock,^(EX) and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. ²¹ Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread^(EY) with the tip of the staff^(EZ) that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. ²² When Gideon realized^(FA) that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”^(FB)

²³ But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid.^(FC) You are not going to die.”^(FD)

²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called^(FE) it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah^(FF) of the Abiezrites.

²⁵ That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.^[h] Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole^[i](FG) beside it. ²⁶ Then build a proper kind of^[j] altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second^[k] bull as a burnt offering.^(FH)”

²⁷ So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

²⁸ In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar,^(FI) demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!

²⁹ They asked each other, “Who did this?”

When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash^(FJ) did it.”

³⁰ The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar^(FK) and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

³¹ But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause?^(FL) Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” ³² So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal^[l](FM) that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”

³³ Now all the Midianites, Amalekites^(FN) and other eastern peoples^(FO) joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.^{(FP) 34} Then the Spirit of the Lord came on^(FQ) Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,^(FR) summoning the Abiezrites^(FS) to follow him. ³⁵ He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher,^(FT) Zebulun and Naphtali,^(FU) so that they too went up to meet them.^(FV)

³⁶ Gideon said to God, “If you will save^(FW) Israel by my hand as you have promised— ³⁷ look, I will place a wool fleece^(FX) on the threshing floor.^(FY) If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know^(FZ) that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” ³⁸ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request.^(GA) Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” ⁴⁰ That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.^(GB)

Abimelek

9 Abimelek^(A) son of Jerub-Baal^(B) went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, ² “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.^(C)”

³ When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” ⁴ They gave him seventy shekels^[a] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,^(D) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,^(E) who became his followers. ⁵ He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,^(F) the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham,^(G) the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.^{(H) 6} Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo^(I) gathered beside the great tree^(J) at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

⁷ When Jotham^(K) was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim^(L) and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. ⁸ One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

⁹ “But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁰ “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹¹ “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹² “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹³ “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine,^(M) which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁴ “Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹⁵ “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade;^(N) but if not, then let fire come out^(O) of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’^(P)

¹⁶ “Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves? ¹⁷ Remember that my father fought for you and risked^(Q) his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. ¹⁸ But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons^(R) on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you. ¹⁹ So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today?^(S) If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too! ²⁰ But if you have not, let fire come out^(T) from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem^(U) and Beth Millo,^(V) and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”

²¹ Then Jotham^(W) fled, escaping to Beer,^(X) and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.

²² After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, ²³ God stirred up animosity^(Y) between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. ²⁴ God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons,^(Z) the shedding^(AA) of their blood, might be avenged^(AB) on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him^(AC) murder his brothers. ²⁵ In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek.

²⁶ Now Gaal son of Ebed^(AD) moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. ²⁷ After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden^(AE) them, they held a festival in the temple of their god.^(AF) While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek. ²⁸ Then Gaal son of Ebed^(AG) said, “Who^(AH) is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor,^(AI) Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek? ²⁹ If only this people were under my command!^(AJ) Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’”^[b](AK)

³⁰ When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. ³¹ Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. ³² Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait^(AL) in the fields. ³³ In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.^(AM)”

³⁴ So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. ³⁵ Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate^(AN) just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place.^(AO)

³⁶ When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!”

Zebul replied, “You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men.”

³⁷ But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill,^[c] and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.”

³⁸ Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed?^(AP) Go out and fight them!”

³⁹ So Gaal led out^[d] the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek. ⁴⁰ Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled. ⁴¹ Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem.

⁴² The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek. ⁴³ So he took his men, divided them into three companies^(AQ) and set an ambush^(AR) in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. ⁴⁴ Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down. ⁴⁵ All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city^(AS) and scattered salt^(AT) over it.

⁴⁶ On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple^(AU) of El-Berith. ⁴⁷ When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, ⁴⁸ he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon.^(AV) He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!” ⁴⁹ So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.

⁵⁰ Next Abimelek went to Thebez^(AW) and besieged it and captured it. ⁵¹ Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. ⁵² Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, ⁵³ a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.^(AX)

⁵⁴ Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me,^(AY) so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. ⁵⁵ When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.

⁵⁶ Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. ⁵⁷ God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness.^(AZ) The curse of Jotham^(BA) son of Jerub-Baal came on them.