Deborah and Barak

4 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died. ² So the Lord sold them to King Jabin^(A) of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.^(B) The commander of his army was Sisera^(C) who lived in Harosheth of the Nations.^{[a] 3} Then the Israelites cried out^(D) to the Lord, because Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them twenty years.

⁴ Deborah, a prophetess^(E) and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to settle disputes.^(F)

⁶ She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel,^(G) commanded you, ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor,^(H) and take with you ten thousand men from the Naphtalites^(I) and Zebulunites?^{(J) 7} Then I will lure Sisera commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his infantry at the Wadi Kishon^(K) to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you.’”^(L)

⁸ Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

⁹ “I will gladly go with you,” she said, “but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera to a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰ Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the sons of Hobab,^(M) Moses’s father-in-law,^(N) and pitched his tent beside the oak tree of Zaanannim,^(O) which was near Kedesh.

¹² It was reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor. ¹³ Sisera summoned all his nine hundred iron chariots and all the troops who were with him from Harosheth of the Nations to the Wadi Kishon. ¹⁴ Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over to you. Hasn’t the Lord gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

¹⁵ The Lord threw Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army into a panic^(P) before Barak’s assault. Sisera left his chariot and fled on foot. ¹⁶ Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth of the Nations, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.

¹⁷ Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸ Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. ¹⁹ He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink for I am thirsty.” She opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again. ²⁰ Then he said to her, “Stand at the entrance to the tent. If a man comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’” ²¹ While he was sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife, Jael, took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She hammered the peg into his temple and drove it into the ground, and he died.

²² When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he went in with her, and there was Sisera lying dead with a tent peg through his temple!

²³ That day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. ²⁴ The power of the Israelites continued to increase against King Jabin of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Deborah’s Song

5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang:

And the land had peace for forty years.

Midian Oppresses Israel

6 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.^(AE) So the Lord handed^(AF) them over to Midian seven years, ² and they oppressed Israel.^(AG) Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places^(AH) for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. ³ Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east^(AI) came and attacked them. ⁴ They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the land, even as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. ⁵ For the Midianites came with their cattle and their tents like a great swarm of locusts.^(AJ) They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to lay waste to it. ⁶ So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord.^(AK)

⁷ When the Israelites cried out to him because of Midian, ⁸ the Lord sent a prophet^(AL) to them. He said to them, “This is what the Lord^(AM) God of Israel says: ‘I brought you out of Egypt and out of the place of slavery.^{(AN) 9} I rescued you from the power of Egypt and the power of all who oppressed^(AO) you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land. ¹⁰ I said to you: I am the Lord your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites whose land you live in.^(AP) But you did not obey me.’”

The Lord Calls Gideon

¹¹ The angel of the Lord^(AQ) came, and he sat under the oak that was in Ophrah,^(AR) which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites. ¹² Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.”^(AS)

¹³ Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? And where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about? They said, ‘Hasn’t the Lord brought us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.”

¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian. I am sending you!” ^(AT)

¹⁵ He said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s family.”

¹⁶ “But I will be with you,”^(AU) the Lord said to him. “You will strike Midian down as if it were one man.”

¹⁷ Then he said to him, “If I have found favor with you,^(AV) give me a sign^(AW) that you are speaking with me. ¹⁸ Please do not leave this place until I return to you. Let me bring my gift and set it before you.”

And he said, “I will stay until you return.”

¹⁹ So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from a half bushel^[r] of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

²⁰ The angel of God^(AX) said to him, “Take the meat with the unleavened bread, put it on this stone, and pour the broth on it.” So he did that.

²¹ The angel of the Lord extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.

²² When Gideon realized that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “Oh no, Lord God!^(AY) I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” ^(AZ)

²³ But the Lord said to him, “Peace to you. Don’t be afraid, for you will not die.” ²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace.^[s] It is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites today.

Gideon Tears Down a Baal Altar

²⁵ On that very night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old. Then tear down the altar of Baal^(BA) that belongs to your father and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. ²⁶ Build a well-constructed altar to the Lord your God on the top of this mound.^(BB) Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.” ²⁷ So Gideon took ten of his male servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city to do it in the daytime, he did it at night.

²⁸ When the men of the city got up in the morning, they found Baal’s altar torn down, the Asherah pole beside it cut down, and the second bull offered up on the altar that had been built. ²⁹ They said to each other, “Who did this?” After they made a thorough investigation, they said, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”

³⁰ Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he tore down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

³¹ But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead Baal’s case for him? Would you save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead his own case because someone tore down his altar.” ³² That day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, since Joash said, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he tore down his altar.

The Sign of the Fleece

³³ All the Midianites, Amalekites, and people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Jezreel Valley.^(BC)

³⁴ The Spirit of the Lord enveloped^[t] Gideon,^(BD) and he blew the ram’s horn and the Abiezrites rallied behind him. ³⁵ He sent messengers throughout all of Manasseh, who rallied behind him. He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, who also came to meet him.

³⁶ Then Gideon said to God, “If you will deliver Israel by me, as you said, ³⁷ I will put a wool fleece here on the threshing floor. If dew is only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry, I will know that you will deliver Israel by me, as you said.” ³⁸ And that is what happened. When he got up early in the morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung dew out of it, filling a bowl with water.

³⁹ Gideon then said to God, “Don’t be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me to make one more test with the fleece. Let it remain dry, and the dew be all over the ground.” ⁴⁰ That night God did as Gideon requested: only the fleece was dry, and dew was all over the ground.

The Widow’s Gift

21 He^(A) looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.^{(B) 2} He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.^{[a](C) 3} “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all of them.^{(D) 4} For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

⁵ As^(E) some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ⁶ “These things that you see—the days will come^(F) when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”^(G)

Signs of the End of the Age

⁷ “Teacher,” they asked him, “so when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ^(H)

⁸ Then he said, “Watch out that you are not deceived.^(I) For many will come in my name,^(J) saying, ‘I am he,’^(K) and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.^{(L) 9} When you hear of wars and rebellions,^[b] don’t be alarmed. Indeed, it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

¹⁰ Then he told them, “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^{(M) 11} There will be violent earthquakes,^(N) and famines and plagues^(O) in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.^{(P) 12} But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you^(Q) and persecute^(R) you. They will hand you over to the synagogues^(S) and prisons,^(T) and you will be brought before kings and governors^(U) because of my name. ¹³ This will give you an opportunity to bear witness.^{(V) 14} Therefore make up your minds^[c] not to prepare your defense ahead of time,^{(W) 15} for I will give you such words^(X) and a wisdom^(Y) that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.^{(Z) 16} You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends.^(AA) They will kill some of you. ¹⁷ You will be hated by everyone because of my name,^{(AB) 18} but not a hair of your head will be lost.^{(AC) 19} By your endurance, gain^[d] your lives.^(AD)

The Destruction of Jerusalem

²⁰ “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,^(AE) then recognize that its desolation^(AF) has come near. ²¹ Then those in Judea must flee^(AG) to the mountains.^(AH) Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it, ²² because these are days of vengeance^(AI) to fulfill all the things that are written. ²³ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,^(AJ) for there will be great distress in the land^[e] and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will be killed by the sword^[f](AK) and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles^[g](AL) until the times of the Gentiles^(AM) are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; ^(AN) and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves.^{(AO) 26} People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken.^{(AP) 27} Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud^(AQ) with power and great glory.^{(AR) 28} But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is near.”^(AS)

The Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁹ Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ As soon as they put out leaves you can see for yourselves and recognize that summer is already near. ³¹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize^[h] that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all things take place.^{(AT) 33} Heaven and earth will pass away,^(AU) but my words will never pass away.^(AV)

The Need for Watchfulness

³⁴ “Be on your guard,^(AW) so that your minds are not dulled^[i] from carousing,^[j] drunkenness,^(AX) and worries of life,^(AY) or that day will come on you unexpectedly^{(AZ) 35} like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But be alert at all times,^(BA) praying that you may have strength^[k] to escape^(BB) all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷ During^(BC) the day, he was teaching in the temple,^(BD) but in the evening he would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.^{(BE) 38} Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear him in the temple.^(BF)