Beginning
3 1 The Canaanites were left to try Israel. 9 Othniel delivereth Israel. 21 Ehud killeth King Eglon. 31 Shamgar killeth the Philistines.
1 These now are the nations which the Lord left, that he might prove Israel by them (even as many of Israel as had not known all the [a]wars of Canaan,
2 Only to make the generations of the children of Israel to know, and to teach them war, which doubtless their predecessors knew [b]not.)
3 Five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal Hermon until one come to Hamath.
4 And these remained to prove Israel by them, 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, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites,
6 And they took [c]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 [d]Asherah.
8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim King of [e]Aram-naharaim, and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.
9 ¶ And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord stirred up a Savior to the children of Israel, and he saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
10 And the [f]Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of [g]Aram into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Cushan-Rishathaim.
11 So the land had rest [h]forty years, and Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 ¶ Then the children of Israel again committed wickedness in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord [i]strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had committed wickedness before the Lord.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.
14 So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord stirred them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera the son of [j]Jemini, a man [k]lame of his right hand: and the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon king of Moab.
16 And Ehud [l]made him a dagger with two edges of a cubit length, and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh,
17 And he presented the gift unto Eglon king of Moab (and Eglon was a very fat man.)
18 And when he had now presented the present, he sent away the people that bare the present,
19 But he turned again from the [m]quarries, that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O King. Who said, Keep [n]silence: and all that stood about him went out from him.
20 Then Ehud came unto him, (and he sat alone in a summer parlor, which he had) and Ehud said, I have a message unto thee 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 about the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly, but the dirt came out.
23 Then Ehud got him out into the [o]porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.
24 And when he was gone out, his servants came: who seeing that the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely [p]he doeth his easement in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and seeing he opened not the doors of the parlor, they took the key, and opened them, and behold, their lord was fallen dead on the earth.
26 So Ehud escaped (while they tarried) and was past the quarries, and escaped unto Seirah,
27 And when he came home, he [q]blew a trumpet in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and he went before them.
28 Then said he unto them, Follow me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, even Moab into your hand. So they went down after him, and took the passages of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of the Moabites the same time about ten thousand men, all [r]fed men, and all were warriors, and there escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was [s]subdued that day, under the hand of Israel: and the [t]land had rest fourscore years.
31 ¶ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox [u]goad, and he also delivered Israel.
4 1 Israel sin and are given into the hands of Jabin. 4 Deborah judgeth Israel, and exhorteth Barak to deliver the people. 15 Sisera fleeth,. 17 and is killed by Jael.
1 And the children of Israel [v]began again to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord when Ehud was dead.
2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of [w]Jabin King of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor, whose chief captain was called Sisera, which dwelt in [x]Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: (for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and twenty years he had vexed the children of Israel very sore.)
4 ¶ And at that time Deborah a Prophetess the wife of Lapidoth [y]judged Israel.
5 And this Deborah dwelt under a palm tree, between Ramah and Bethel in 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 unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel [z]commanded, saying, Go, and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the (A)[aa]river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army with his chariots, and his multitude, and will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, [ab]If thou wilt go with me, I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go.
9 Then she answered, I will surely go with thee, but this journey that thou takest, shall not be for thine 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 [ac]he went up on his feet with ten thousand men, and Deborah went up with him.
11 (Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the [ad]children of (B)Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, was departed from the [ae]Kenites, and pitched his tent [af]until the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.)
12 Then they showed Sisera, that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera called for all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him from Harosheth of the Gentiles, unto the river Kishon.
14 Then Deborah said unto Barak, [ag]Up: for this is the day that the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before thee? 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 host with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16 But (C)Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword: there was not a man left.
17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of [ah]Heber the Kenite: (for peace was between Jabin the king of Hazor, and between the house of Heber the Kenite.)
18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn into me: fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into her tent, she covered him with a [ai]mantel.
19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink: for I am thirsty. And she opened (D)a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and when any man doth come and inquire of thee, saying, Is [aj]any man there? thou shalt say, Nay.
21 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a [ak]nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground, (for he was fast asleep and weary) and so he died.
22 And behold, as Barak pursued after Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man, whom thou seekest: and when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay [al]dead, and the nail 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 [am]prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
5 1 The song and thanksgiving of Deborah and Barak, after the victory.
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak the son of Abinoam the same day, saying,
2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, and for the [an]people that offered themselves willingly.
3 Hear, ye kings, hearken ye princes: I, even I will sing unto the Lord: I will sing praise unto the Lord God of Israel.
4 Lord, (E)when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou departedst out of the field of (F)Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens rained, the clouds also dropped water.
5 (G)The mountains melted before the Lord, (H)as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of (I)Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of (J)Jael, the highways were [ao]unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.
7 The towns were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in Israel, until I Deborah came up, which rose up a [ap]mother in Israel.
8 They chose new gods: then was war in the gates. Was there a [aq]shield or spear seen among forty thousand of Israel?
9 Mine heart is set on the governors of Israel, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord.
10 Speak ye that ride on [ar]white asses, ye that dwell [as]by Middin, and that walk by the way.
11 For the noise of the archers appraised among the [at]drawers of water: there shall they rehearse the righteousness of the Lord, his righteousness of his towns in Israel: then did the people of the Lord go down to the gates.
12 Up Deborah, up, arise, and sing a song: arise Barak, and lead [au]thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 For they that remain, have dominion over the mighty of the people: the Lord hath given me dominion over the strong.
14 Of Ephraim [av]their root arose against Amalek: and after thee Benjamin shall fight against thy people, O Amalek, of Machir came rulers, and of Zebulun, they that handle the pen of the [aw]writer.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and [ax]Issachar, and also Barak: he was set on his feet in the valley: for the divisions of Reuben were great [ay]thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? for the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
17 [az]Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why doth Dan remain in ships? Asher sat on the seashore, and tarried in his [ba]decayed places.
18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali have jeopardized their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
19 The Kings came and fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they received no gain of [bb]money.
20 They fought from heaven, even the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The River Kishon [bc]swept them away, that ancient river the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast marched valiantly.
22 Then were the horse hoofs broken with the oft beating together of their mighty men.
23 Curse ye [bd]Meroz: (said the Angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty.
24 Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed above other women: blessed shall she be above women dwelling in tents.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk: she brought forth [be]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 smote she Sisera: she smote off his head, after she had wounded and pierced his temples.
27 He bowed him down at her feet, he fell down, and lay still: at her feet he bowed him down, and fell: and when he had sunk down, he lay there [bf]dead.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long a coming? why tarry the [bg]wheels of his chariots?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yea. [bh]She answered herself with her own words,
30 Have they not gotten, and they divide the spoil? every man hath a maid or two. Sisera hath a prey of diverse colored garments, a prey of sundry colors made of needle work: of diverse colors of needle work on both sides, [bi]for the chief of the spoil.
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but they that love him, shall be as the [bj]Sun when he riseth in his might, and the land had rest forty years.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.