1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight
of Yahweh, when Ehud was dead. 2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin
king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera,
who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 The children of Israel cried to
Yahweh: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he
mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess,
the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 She lived under
the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill-country of
Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 She
sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said to
him, Hasn't Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, saying, Go and draw
to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of
Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7 I will draw to you, to the
river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his
multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand. 8 Barak said to her, If
you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will
not go. 9 She said, I will surely go with you: notwithstanding, the
journey that you take shall not be for your honor; for Yahweh will sell
Sisera into the hand of a woman. Deborah arose, and went with Barak to
Kedesh. 10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and there
went up ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. 11 Now
Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the
children of Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as
far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh. 12 They told Sisera that
Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 Sisera gathered
together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the
people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river
Kishon. 14 Deborah said to Barak, Up; for this is the day in which Yahweh
has delivered Sisera into your hand; hasn't Yahweh gone out before you? So
Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15 Yahweh confused Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with
the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and
fled away on his feet. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after
the host, to Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell by
the edge of the sword; there was not a man left. 17 However Sisera fled
away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there
was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn
in to me; don't be afraid. He came in to her into the tent, and she covered
him with a rug. 19 He said to her, Please give me a little water to drink;
for I am thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and
covered him. 20 He said to her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it
shall be, when any man does come and inquire of you, and say, Is there any
man here? that you shall say, No. 21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a
tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck
the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was
in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died. 22 Behold, as Barak pursued
Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and I will show you
the man whom you seek. He came to her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the
tent-pin was in his temples. 23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king
of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24 The hand of the children of
Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they
had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
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