Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
17 Cover their faces with shame,
till they seek your name,[a] Lord.
18 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever;
let them perish in disgrace.
8 But Barak answered her, “If you come with me, I will go; if you do not come with me, I will not go.” 9 “I will certainly go with you,” she replied, “but you will not gain glory for the expedition on which you are setting out, for it is into a woman’s power that the Lord is going to sell Sisera.” So Deborah arose and went with Barak and journeyed with him to Kedesh.
10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men followed him.(A) Deborah also went up with him. 11 [a]Now Heber the Kenite had detached himself from Cain, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law,(B) and had pitched his tent by the terebinth of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.
12 It was reported to Sisera that Barak, son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 So Sisera called out all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all his forces from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon. 14 Deborah then said to Barak, “Up! This is the day on which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your power. The Lord marches before you.” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by his ten thousand men. 15 And the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and forces into a panic before Barak.(C) Sisera himself dismounted from his chariot and fled on foot, 16 but Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-ha-goiim. The entire army of Sisera fell beneath the sword, not even one man surviving.
17 Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin, king of Hazor, and the family of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside with me; do not be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink. I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and then covered him.(D) 20 “Stand at the entrance of the tent,” he said to her. “If anyone comes and asks, ‘Is there someone here?’ say, ‘No!’” 21 Jael, wife of Heber, got a tent peg and took a mallet in her hand. When Sisera was in a deep sleep from exhaustion, she approached him stealthily and drove the peg through his temple and down into the ground, and he died.(E) 22 Then when Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
23 Thus on that day God humbled the Canaanite king, Jabin, before the Israelites; 24 their power weighed ever more heavily on him, until at length they finished off the Canaanite king, Jabin.
Chapter 2
God’s Just Judgment. 1 [a]Therefore, you are without excuse,(A) every one of you who passes judgment.[b] For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. 3 Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?(B) 4 Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance?(C) 5 By your stubbornness and impenitent heart,(D) you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, 6 (E)who will repay everyone according to his works:[c] 7 eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, 8 but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.(F) 9 Yes, affliction and distress will come upon every human being who does evil, Jew first and then Greek. 10 (G)But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek. 11 [d](H)There is no partiality with God.
Judgment by the Interior Law.[e]
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.