The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Judges 04
1 The children of Israel again did that
which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when
Ehud was dead.
2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of
Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army 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 he mightily oppressed the children of
Israel for twenty years.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of
Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.
5 She lived under Deborah’s palm tree
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, ‘Go and lead the way
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,thenI will go; butif you willnot go with
me, I will not go.”
9 She said, “I will surely go with you.
Nevertheless, the journey that you take
won’t be for your honor; for Yahweh will
sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” Deborah
arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali
together to Kedesh. Ten thousand men
followed him; and Deborah went up with
him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated
himself from the Kenites, even from the
children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law,
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 had 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,
fromHaroshethofthe Gentiles,to the river
Kishon.
14 Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this
is the day in which Yahweh has delivered
Sisera into yourhand. Hasn’tYahwehgone
out before you?” So Barak went down
from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men
after him.
15 Yahweh confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the
sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his
chariot and fled away on his feet.
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and
the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and
all the army 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 openeda container ofmilk, andgave
him a drink, and covered him.
20 He said to her, “Stand in the door ofthe
tent, and if any man comes and inquires of
you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you
shall say, ‘No.’ ”
21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent
peg, 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
fainted 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 peg was in his
temples.
23 So God subdued Jabin the king of
Canaan before the children of Israel on
that day.
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.