Beginning
3 These, now, are the nations which the LORD left, so that He might test Israel by them (since many had not known all the wars of Canaan)
2 and thus make the generations of the children of Israel know, and teach them, war (which doubtless their predecessors did not know):
3 Five princes of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon until one comes to Hamath.
4 These remained to test Israel, to wit, whether they would obey the Commandments of the LORD which He commanded their fathers, by the hand of Moses.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7 So, the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served Baal and Asherah.
8 Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram-Naharaim. And the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.
9 And when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD stirred up a savior for the children of Israel — Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother — and he saved them.
10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, into his hand. And his hand prevailed against Cushan-Rishathaim.
11 So the land had rest for forty years. And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.
12 Then, the children of Israel committed wickedness again in the sight of the LORD. And the LORD strengthened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel, because they had committed wickedness before the LORD.
13 And he gathered to him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, and went and struck Israel; and they possessed the city of palm trees.
14 So, the children of Israel served Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD stirred them up a savior — Ehud, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini — a left-handed man. And the children of Israel sent a present by him to Eglon, king of Moab.
16 And Ehud made himself a dagger with two edges, one cubit in length. And he girded it under his clothing, upon his right thigh.
17 And he presented the gift to Eglon, king of Moab (and Eglon was a very fat man).
18 And when he had presented the present, he sent away the people who bore the present;
19 but he turned back from the idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Who said, “Keep silent.” And all who stood around him went out from him.
20 Then Ehud came to him (and he sat alone, in a summer parlor which he had). And Ehud said, “I have a message for you from God.” Then he arose out of his throne.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly,
22 so that the haft went in after the blade; and the fat closed around the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly, but his feces came out.
23 Then Ehud got himself out, into the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor after him, and locked them.
24 And when he had gone out, his servants came. And seeing that the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, “Surely, he is relieving himself in his summer chamber.”
25 And they waited until they were uncomfortable. And seeing he did not open the doors of the parlor, they took the key and opened them. And behold, their lord has fallen dead on the floor.
26 So Ehud escaped (while they had been waiting) and was past the idols, and escaped to Seirah.,
27 And when he got home, he blew a trumpet on Mount Ephraim. And the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain; and he went before them.
28 Then he said to them, “Follow me! For the LORD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand!” So, they went down after him and took the passages of Jordan toward Moab and did not allow a man to pass over.
29 And at that same time, they killed about ten thousand of the Moabites, all well-fed men, and all warriors. And not one man escaped.
30 So Moab was subdued that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
31 And after him came Shamgar, the son of Anath, who killed six hundred of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.
4 And again, the children of Israel began to do wickedly in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud was dead.
2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor, whose chief captain was called Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 Then the children of Israel cried to the LORD. For Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron and had oppressed the children of Israel very severely for twenty years.
4 And at that time, Deborah, a Prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel.
5 And this Deborah dwelt under a palm tree, between Ramah and Bethel, on Mount Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 Then she sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh of Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the LORD God of Israel Commanded, saying, ‘Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun;
7 and I will draw to you (to the river Kishon) Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude, and will deliver him into your hand’?”
8 And 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 Then she answered, “I will surely go with you; but this journey that you take shall not be for your honor. For the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And he went up with ten thousand men. And Deborah went up with him.
11 Now, Heber the Kenite, who was of the children of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had departed from the Kenites and pitched his tent as far away as the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12 Then they showed Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera called for all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the river Kishon.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand! Has not the LORD gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15 And the LORD destroyed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword, before Barak, so that Sisera descended from his chariot, and fled away on foot.
16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the army, to Harosheth of the Gentiles. And all the army of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword. There was not a man left.
17 However, Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite (for there was peace between Jabin, the king of Hazor, and between the House of Heber the Kenite).
18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn in, my lord. Turn in to me. Do not fear!” And when he had turned in to her, into her tent, she covered him with a rug.
19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.
20 Again, he said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent. And when any man comes and inquires of you, saying, ‘Is any man there?’ You shall say, ‘No.’”
21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a nail from the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and drove the nail through his temples and into the ground (for he was fast asleep and weary). And he died.
22 And behold, as Barak pursued after Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead; and the nail was in his temples.
23 So God brought down Jabin, the king of Canaan, that day, before the children of Israel.
24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered and prevailed against Jabin, the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.
5 Then Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang the same day, saying,
2 “Praise the LORD for the avenging of Israel, and for the people who offered themselves willingly!
3 “Hear, you kings! Listen, you princes! I will! I will sing to the LORD! I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel!
4 “LORD, when You went out of Seir, when You departed out of the field of Edom, the Earth trembled, and the skies rained! The clouds also dropped water!
5 “The mountains melted before the LORD, that Sinai before the LORD God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath (in the days of Jael), the highways were unoccupied and the travelers walked through byways.
7 “The towns were not inhabited. They decayed, I say, in Israel. Until I, Deborah, came up, who rose up a mother in Israel.
8 “They chose new gods. Then, war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand of Israel?
9 “My heart is with the governors of Israel, on those who are willing among the people. Praise the LORD!
10 Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who dwell by Middin, and who walk by the way.
11 “At the sound that divides the flock among the troughs of water, there shall they recount the righteousness of the LORD, His righteousness of His towns in Israel. Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates.
12 “Up Deborah! Up! Arise! Sing a song! Arise Barak, and lead your captives away, you son of Abinoam!
13 “For those who remain have dominion over the mighty of the people. The LORD has given me dominion over the strong.
14 “From Ephraim, their root arose against Amalek. After you, Benjamin, against your people, from Machir, came rulers, and from Zebulun, those who handle the pen of the writer.
15 “And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Issachar and also Barak. He was set on his feet in the valley. For among the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
16 “Why did you abide among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For among the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
17 “Gilead abode beyond Jordan. And why does Dan remain in ships? Asher sat on the seashore and waited in his decayed places.
18 “The people of Zebulun and Naphtali have jeopardized their lives until death in the high places of the field.
19 “The kings came and fought. Then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. They received no monetary gain.
20 “They fought from the sky. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 “The River Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have marched valiantly!
22 “Then, the horses’ hooves were broken with the oft-beating-together of their mighty men.
23 “‘Curse you, Meroz!’ said the Angel of the LORD, ‘Curse its inhabitants, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty!’
24 “Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, shall be blessed above women. She shall be blessed above women in tents.
25 “He asked for water; she gave him milk. She brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26 “She put her hand to the nail and her right hand to the workman’s hammer. With the hammer, she struck Sisera. She struck off his head, after she had wounded and pierced his temples.
27 “He bowed down at her feet. He fell down and lay still. At her feet, he bowed down and fell. And when he had sunk down, he lay there, dead.
28 “The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the lattice, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots tarry?’
29 “Her wise ladies answered her. Yea, she answered herself with her own words,
30 ‘Have they not gotten and divided the spoil, every man having a maid or two? Sisera has a prey of diverse colored garments, a prey of sundry colors made of needle work, of diverse colors of needle work on both sides, for the chief of the spoil.’
31 “So let all your enemies perish, O LORD! But those who love Him shall be as the Sun when he rises in His might!” And the land had rest for forty years.
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