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Beginning

Read the Bible from start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation.
Duration: 365 days
Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
Version
Shofetim 3-5

Now these are the Goyim which Hashem let remain, to test Yisroel by them, even as many of Yisroel who had not known all the milchamot Kena’an;

Only so that the dorot of the Bnei Yisroel might have da’as, to teach them milchamah, such as before knew nothing thereof;

Namely, five rulers of the Pelishtim (Philistines), and all the Kena’ani, and the Tzidoni, and the Chivi that dwelt in Har HaLevanon, from Har Baal-Chermon unto the entrance of Chamat.

And they were to test Yisroel by them, to know whether they would pay heed unto the Mitzvot Hashem, which He commanded their Avot by the yad Moshe.

And the Bnei Yisroel dwelt among the Kena’ani, Chitti, and Emori, and Perizzi, and Chivi, and Yevusi;

And they took their banot to be their nashim, and gave their banot to their banim, and served their elohim.

And the Bnei Yisroel did evil in the sight of Hashem, and forgot Hashem Eloheihem, and served Baalim and the Asherot.

Therefore the Af Hashem was hot against Yisroel, and He sold them into the yad Chushan Rishataim Melech Aram Naharayim [i.e., Upper Mesopotamia]; and the Bnei Yisroel served Chushan Rishataim eight years.

And when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem, Hashem raised up a Moshia (Deliverer, Savior) to the Bnei Yisroel, who saved them, even Otniel ben Kenaz, Kalev’s younger brother.

10 And the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem came upon him, and he judged Yisroel, and went out to milchamah; and Hashem delivered Chushan Rishataim Melech Aram into his yad; and his yad prevailed against Chushan Rishataim.

11 And the land had rest arba’im shanah. And Otniel ben Kenaz died.

12 And the Bnei Yisroel did rah again in the sight of Hashem; and Hashem strengthened Eglon Melech Moav against Yisroel, because they had done rah in the sight of Hashem.

13 And he gathered unto him the Bnei Ammon and Amalek, and went and attacked Yisroel, and possessed the Ir HaTemarim.

14 So the Bnei Yisroel served Eglon Melech Moav eighteen years.

15 But when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem, Hashem raised them up a Moshi’a, Ehud ben Gera, from the tribe of Binyamin, a man left-handed; and by him the Bnei Yisroel sent a minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav.

16 But Ehud made him a cherev which had two edges of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav; and Eglon was an ish bari me’od (very fat man).

18 And when he had made an end to offer the minchah, he sent away the people that carried the minchah (tribute).

19 But he himself turned back at the pesilim near Gilgal, and said, I have a devar seter (secret message) for thee O melech; he said, Keep silence! And all that stood by attending him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in an aliyyat hamekerah (upper room for cooling), which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a devar Elohim unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

21 And Ehud put forth his semol (left hand), and drew the cherev from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly;

22 And even the hilt went in after the blade; and the chelev closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the cherev out of his belly; it came out the back.

23 Then Ehud went forth through the front hall, and shut the daletot of the aliyyah behind him, and locked them.

24 When he was gone out, his avadim came; and when they saw that, hinei, the daletot of the aliyyah were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet [i.e. relieves himself] in the chedar hamekerah (inner cool room).

25 And they tarried till bosh (embarrassed); and, hinei, he opened not the daletot of the aliyyah; therefore they took a mafte’ach (key), and unlocked them; and, hinei, their adon was fallen on the floor dead.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the pesilim, and escaped unto Seirah.

27 And it came to pass, when he arrived, that he blew a shofar in the har Ephrayim, and the Bnei Yisroel went down with him from the har, and he before them.

28 And he said unto them, Follow after me; for Hashem hath delivered your enemies Moav into your yad. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Yarden toward Moav, and allowed not an ish to pass over.

29 And they struck down Moav at that time about ten thousand ish, all strong ish chayil; and there escaped not an ish.

30 So Moav was subdued that day under the yad Yisroel. And HaAretz had rest fourscore shanah.

31 And after him was Shamgar ben Anat, which struck down of the Pelishtim (Philistines) six hundred ish with an ox goad; and he also saved Yisroel.

And the Bnei Yisroel again did rah in the sight of Hashem, when Ehud was dead.

And Hashem sold them into the yad Yavin Melech Kena’an, that reigned in Chatzor; the sar whose tze’va (army) was Sisra, which dwelt in Charoshet HaGoyim.

And the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem; for he had nine hundred chariots of barzel (iron); and twenty shanah he oppressed chazakah the Bnei Yisroel.

And isha Devorah, a neviah, the eshet Lapidot, judged Yisroel at that time.

And she held court under the Tomer Devorah between Ramah and Beit-El in har Ephrayim; Bnei Yisroel came up to her for mishpat.

And she sent and called Barak ben Avinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not Hashem Elohei Yisroel commanded, saying, Go and take position at Har Tavor, and take with thee ten thousand ish of the Bnei Naphtali and of the Bnei Zevulun?

And I will lure unto thee to the river Kishon the sar Tze’va Yavin, Sisra, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine yad.

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

And she said, I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the derech of thee shall not take thee to thy teferet (honor); for Hashem shall sell Sisra into the yad of an isha. And Devorah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak summoned Zevulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand ish at his feet; and Devorah went up with him.

11 Now Chever the Keni, which was of the Bnei Chovav the khoten Moshe, had separated from the Kayin [other Keni], and encamped his ohel unto the oak at Tzaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

12 And they told Sisra that Barak ben Avinoam was gone up to Har Tavor.

13 And Sisra gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of barzel (iron), and kol haAm that were with him, from Charoshet HaGoyim unto the river Kishon.

14 And Devorah said unto Barak, Go! For this is the day in which Hashem hath delivered Sisra into thine yad. Is not Hashem gone out before thee? So Barak went down from Har Tavor, and ten thousand ish after him.

15 And Hashem routed Sisra, and all his chariots, and kol hamachaneh, with the edge of the cherev before Barak; so that Sisra got down from his merkavah (chariot), and fled away on foot.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the machaneh, as far as Charoshet HaGoyim; and kol machaneh Sisra fell by the edge of the cherev; and there was not a man left.

17 Howbeit Sisra fled away on foot to the ohel Yael the isha of Chever the Keni; for there was shalom between Yavin Melech Chatzor and the Bais Chever Keni.

18 And Yael went out to meet Sisra, and said unto him, Turn in, adoni, stay with me; fear not. And when he had entered with her into the ohel, she covered him with a covering.

19 And he said unto her, Give me, now, a little mayim to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of cholov, and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand at the petach haohel, and it shall be, when any ish doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any ish here?‖thou shalt say, No.

21 Then Yael eshet Chever took a yetad haohel (tent peg), and took a makevet (hammer) in her yad, and went softly unto him, and drove the yetad into his temple, and stuck it into the ground; for he was fast asleep exhausted. So he died.

22 And, hinei, as Barak pursued Sisra, Yael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the ish whom thou seekest. And when he came into her ohel, hinei, Sisra lay dead, and the yetad was in his temple.

23 So Elohim subdued on that day Yavin Melech Kena’an before the Bnei Yisroel.

24 And the yad Bnei Yisroel prospered, and prevailed against Yavin Melech Kena’an, until they had destroyed Yavin Melech Kena’an.

Then sang Devorah and Barak ben Avinoam on that day, saying,

Barachu Hashem that the strong in Yisroel put forth strength, that the people willingly offered themselves.

Hear, O ye melachim; give ear, O ye rozenim (princes); I, even I, will sing unto Hashem; I will make music to Hashem Elohei Yisroel.

Hashem, when Thou wentest out from Seir, when Thou marchedst out of the sadeh Edom, Eretz trembled, HaShomayim poured, clouds also poured down mayim.

The harim quaked at the presence of Hashem, this Sinai before Hashem Elohei Yisroel.

In the days of Shamgar ben Anat, in the days of Yael, the roads were abandoned, and the travellers walked the byways.

The warrior ceased, they ceased in Yisroel, until I, Devorah, arose, I Em B’Yisroel arose.

They chose elohim chadashim when war was at the she’arim (gates); was there a mogen or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Yisroel?

My lev is toward the ones ruling in Yisroel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Barachu Hashem.

10 Reflect, ye that ride on white donkeys, ye that sit on saddle blankets, and walk on the derech.

11 The voice of the singers in the place of drawing mayim, there shall they rehearse the Tzidkot Hashem, even the Tzidkot of His warriors in Yisroel; then shall HaAm Hashem go down to the she’arim.

12 Awake, awake, Devorah; awake, awake, break out in song; arise, Barak, and lead captive thy captives, thou ben Avinoam.

13 Then came down a sarid (remnant) to the nobles; the people of Hashem came down to me as gibborim.

14 Out of Ephrayim was their shoresh against Amalek; after thee, Binyamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down mekhokekim (law givers), and out of Zevulun they that hold the shevet of the sofer (scribe).

15 And the sarim of Yissakhar were with Devorah; Yissakhar was with Barak; he rushed at his feet into the emek. Among the divisions of Reuven there were gedolim chikkei lev (great searchings, indecisions of heart).

16 Why abodest thou among the mishpetayim (sheepfolds), to hear the bleatings of the flocks? Among the divisions of Reuven there were great indecisions of heart.

17 Gil‘ad abode beyond Yarden; and why did Dan linger by oniyyot? Asher remained on the seacoast, and dwelt by his landings.

18 Zevulun and Naphtali were a people that risked their nefesh unto the death in the high places of the sadeh.

19 The melachim came and fought, then fought the melachim of Kena’an at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no plunder of kesef.

20 They fought from Shomayim; the kokhavim in their courses fought Sisra.

21 The Kishon River swept them away, that nachal kedumim, the Kishon River. O my nefesh, march on with oz.

22 Then were the ikvei sus (horse hooves) galloping, the prancings of hooves, the prancings of their mighty steeds.

23 Curse Meroz, said the Malach Hashem, curse bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the ezrat Hashem, to the help of Hashem, against the gibborim.

24 Blessed above nashim shall Yael eshet Chever the Keni be, blessed shall she be above nashim in the ohel.

25 He asked mayim, and she gave him cholov; she brought forth curds in a noble’s dish.

26 She put her yad to the yetad, and her right hand to the workman’s hammer; and with the hammer she struck Sisra, she crushed his rosh, when she had shattered and pierced his temple.

27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, sham (there) he fell down dead.

28 The Em Sisra looked out through the chalon (window), and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his marekevot (chariots)?

29 Her chachemot sarot (wisest ladies) answered her, indeed, she repeats to herself her words,

30 Are they not finding and dividing the prey; to every gever a girl or two; for Sisra colorful garments as plunder, a plunder of dyed work embroidered, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, fit for the necks of them that take the spoil?

31 So let all thine enemies perish, Hashem; but let them that love Him be as the shemesh in its gevurah. And HaAretz had rest arba’im shanah.

Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

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