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Deborah Summons Barak
4 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight[a] after Ehud’s death. 2 The Lord turned them over to[b] King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor.[c] The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.[d] 3 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, because Sisera[e] had 900 chariots with iron-rimmed wheels,[f] and he cruelly[g] oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess,[h] wife of Lappidoth, was[i] leading[j] Israel at that time. 5 She would sit[k] under the Date Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites would come up to her to have their disputes settled.[l]
6 She summoned[m] Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Is it not true that the Lord God of Israel is commanding you? Go, march to Mount Tabor! Take with you 10,000 men from Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army.[n] I will hand him over to you.” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go. But if you do not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She said, “I will indeed go with you. But you will not gain fame[o] on the expedition you are undertaking,[p] for the Lord will turn Sisera over to a woman.”[q] Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak summoned men from Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and 10,000 men followed him;[r] Deborah went up with him as well. 11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away[s] from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. He lived[t] near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12 When Sisera heard[u] that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 he[v] ordered[w] all his chariotry—900 chariots with iron-rimmed wheels—and all the troops he had with him to go from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. 14 Deborah said to Barak, “Spring into action,[x] for this is the day the Lord is handing Sisera over to you![y] Has the Lord not taken the lead?”[z] So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. 15 The Lord routed[aa] Sisera, all his chariotry, and all his army with the edge of the sword.[ab] Sisera jumped out of[ac] his chariot and ran away on foot. 16 Now Barak chased the chariots and the army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera’s whole army died[ad] by the edge of the sword; not even one survived![ae]
17 Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty.[af] 18 Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest,[ag] my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera[ah] stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. 19 He said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, because I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again. 20 He said to her, “Stand watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’” 21 Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other.[ai] She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground[aj] while he was asleep from exhaustion,[ak] and he died. 22 Now Barak was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to welcome him. She said to him, “Come here and I will show you the man you are searching for.” He went with her into the tent,[al] and there he saw Sisera sprawled out dead[am] with the tent peg through his temple.
23 That day God humiliated King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 Israel’s power continued to overwhelm[an] King Jabin of Canaan until they did away with[ao] him.[ap]
Celebrating the Victory in Song
5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song:[aq]
2 “When the leaders took the lead[ar] in Israel,
When the people answered the call to war—
Praise the Lord!
3 Hear, O kings!
Pay attention, O rulers!
I will sing to the Lord![as]
I will sing[at] to the Lord God of Israel!
4 O Lord, when you departed[au] from Seir,
when you marched from Edom’s plains,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down,
the clouds poured down rain.[av]
5 The mountains trembled[aw] before the Lord, the God of Sinai;[ax]
before the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael caravans[ay] disappeared;[az]
travelers[ba] had to go on winding side roads.
7 Warriors[bb] were scarce;[bc]
they were scarce in Israel,
until you[bd] arose, Deborah,
until you arose as a motherly protector[be] in Israel.
8 God chose new leaders,[bf]
then fighters appeared in the city gates;[bg]
but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found[bh]
among forty military units[bi] in Israel.
9 My heart went out[bj] to Israel’s leaders,
to the people who answered the call to war.
Praise the Lord!
10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets,[bk]
you who walk on the road, pay attention!
11 Hear[bl] the sound of those who divide the sheep[bm] among the watering places;
there they tell of[bn] the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriors[bo] in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates—
12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
Get up, Barak!
Capture your prisoners of war,[bp] son of Abinoam!
13 Then the survivors[bq] came down[br] to the mighty ones;[bs]
the Lord’s people came down to me[bt] as[bu] warriors.
14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek;[bv]
they follow[bw] after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.
From Makir leaders came down,
from Zebulun came[bx] the ones who march carrying[by] an officer’s staff.
15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah;
the men of Issachar[bz] supported[ca] Barak;
into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command.[cb]
Among the clans of Reuben there was intense[cc] heart searching.[cd]
16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds,[ce]
listening to the shepherds playing their pipes[cf] for their flocks?[cg]
As for the clans of Reuben—there was intense searching of heart.
17 Gilead stayed put[ch] beyond the Jordan River.
As for Dan—why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards?[ci]
Asher remained[cj] on the seacoast;
he stayed[ck] by his harbors.[cl]
18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives;[cm]
Naphtali charged onto the battlefields.[cn]
19 Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
but[co] they took no silver as plunder.
20 From the sky[cp] the stars[cq] fought,
from their paths in the heavens[cr] they fought against Sisera.
21 The Kishon River carried them off;
the river confronted them[cs]—the Kishon River.
Step on the necks of the strong![ct]
22 The horses’[cu] hooves pounded the ground;[cv]
the stallions galloped madly.[cw]
23 ‘Call judgment down on[cx] Meroz,’ says the angel of the Lord;
‘Be sure[cy] to call judgment down on[cz] those who live there,
because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle,[da]
to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’[db]
24 The most rewarded[dc] of women should be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite!
She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.
25 He asked for water,
and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for a king,[dd]
she served him curds.
26 Her left[de] hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.
She “hammered”[df] Sisera,
she shattered his skull,[dg]
she smashed his head,[dh]
she drove the tent peg through his temple.[di]
27 Between her feet he collapsed,
he fell limp and was lifeless;[dj]
between her feet he collapsed and fell,
in the spot where he collapsed,
there he fell—violently killed![dk]
28 Through the window she looked;
Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so slow to return?
Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot horses[dl] delayed?’
29 The wisest of her ladies[dm] answer;
indeed she even thinks to herself,
30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder[dn]—
a girl or two for each man to rape![do]
Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth,[dp]
he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth,[dq]
two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,
for the neck of the plunderer!’[dr]
31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love you shine
like the rising sun at its brightest.”[ds]
And the land had rest for forty years.
35 Then[a] Jesus[b] said to them, “When I sent you out with no money bag,[c] or traveler’s bag,[d] or sandals, you didn’t lack[e] anything, did you?” They replied,[f] “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now, the one who[g] has a money bag must take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag[h] too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this scripture must be[i] fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’[j] For what is written about me is being fulfilled.”[k] 38 So[l] they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.”[m] Then he told them, “It is enough.”[n]
On the Mount of Olives
39 Then[o] Jesus[p] went out and made his way,[q] as he customarily did, to the Mount of Olives,[r] and the disciples followed him. 40 When he came to the place,[s] he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”[t] 41 He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take[u] this cup[v] away from me. Yet not my will but yours[w] be done.” 43 [Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And in his anguish[x] he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.][y] 45 When[z] he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, exhausted[aa] from grief. 46 So[ab] he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation!”[ac]
Betrayal and Arrest
47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared,[ad] and the man named Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He walked up[ae] to Jesus to kiss him.[af] 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”[ag] 49 When[ah] those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should[ai] we use our swords?”[aj] 50 Then[ak] one of them[al] struck the high priest’s slave,[am] cutting off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said,[an] “Enough of this!” And he touched the man’s[ao] ear and healed[ap] him. 52 Then[aq] Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard,[ar] and the elders who had come out to get him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw?[as] 53 Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts,[at] you did not arrest me.[au] But this is your hour,[av] and that of the power[aw] of darkness!”
Psalm 94[a]
94 O Lord, the God who avenges!
O God who avenges, reveal your splendor.[b]
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth.
Pay back the proud.
3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked celebrate?[c]
4 They spew out threats[d] and speak defiantly;
all the evildoers boast.[e]
5 O Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress the nation that belongs to you.[f]
6 They kill the widow and the resident foreigner,
and they murder the fatherless.[g]
7 Then they say, “The Lord does not see this;
the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.”[h]
8 Take notice of this,[i] you ignorant people.[j]
You fools, when will you ever understand?
9 Does the one who makes the human ear not hear?
Does the one who forms the human eye not see?[k]
10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?
He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!
11 The Lord knows that peoples’ thoughts
are morally bankrupt.[l]
12 How blessed is the one[m] whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
13 in order to protect him from times of trouble,[n]
until the wicked are destroyed.[o]
14 Certainly[p] the Lord does not forsake his people;
he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him.[q]
15 For justice will prevail,[r]
and all the morally upright[s] will be vindicated.[t]
16 Who will rise up to defend me[u] against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?[v]
17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.[w]
18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.
19 When worries threaten to overwhelm me,[x]
your soothing touch makes me happy.[y]
20 Cruel rulers[z] are not your allies,
those who make oppressive laws.[aa]
21 They conspire against[ab] the blameless,[ac]
and condemn to death the innocent.[ad]
22 But the Lord will protect me,[ae]
and my God will shelter me.[af]
23 He will pay them back for their sin.[ag]
He will destroy them because of[ah] their evil;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
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