Judges Chapter 4

Deborah Judges Israel

 ¹ After Ehud died, the people sinned again, ² and Yahveh sold them to Jabin, king of Canaan in Hazor. Sisera commanded his army from Harosheth-hagoyim. ³ The people appealed to Yahveh because Sisera had 900 iron chariots and oppressed Israel cruelly for 20 years.

⁴ Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. ⁵ She sat under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. The people came up to her for judgment. ⁶ She sent for Barak Ben-Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali,

“Yahveh God of Israel commands you, ‘Gather to Mount Tabor 10,000 troops from Naphtali and Zebulun. ⁷ I’ll draw out Sisera, Jabin’s general, to meet you by the Kishon River with his chariots and troops. I’ll give him to you.’”

⁸ Barak said, “If you’ll go, I’ll go. If you won’t, I won’t.”

⁹ “I’ll go with you, but that won’t give you any honor. Yahveh will be selling Sisera to a woman.”

She went with him to Kedesh, ¹⁰ and Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; 10,000 men went up with him.         Jud 4:1-10

¹¹ Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law*. He had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

¹² When Sisera heard that Barak had gone up to Mount Tabor, ¹³ he called out his 900 iron chariots and all his army from Harosheth-hagoyim to the Kishon River. ¹⁴ Deborah told Barak, “Get up! Yahveh is going to deliver Sisera to you today. Isn’t it Yahveh that’s leading you out?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men, ¹⁵ and Yahveh routed Sisera, his chariots, and army. Sisera jumped down from his chariot and fled on foot. ¹⁶ Barak chased the chariots and the army back home to Harosheth-hagoyim, and Sisera’s whole army fell by the sword. 

¹⁷ Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, because he and Heber’s family had been on good terms. ¹⁸ Jael came out to meet him, “Turn aside, Sir. You don’t have to be afraid.” He turned aside into her tent, and she covered him with a rug. ¹⁹ He said, “Please give me a little water. I’m thirsty.” She opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him up. ²⁰ He said, “Stand at the door. If anybody comes and asks if anybody’s here, say, ‘No.’” ²¹ But she took a tent peg and a hammer, and went quietly to him and drove the peg into his temple till it stuck into the ground while he was asleep, exhausted. That’s how he died. ²² As Barak pursued him, Jael went out to meet him, “Come here, I’ll show you the man you’re looking for.” He went into her tent and found Sisera lying there dead with the tent peg through his temple.

²³ God subdued Jabin that day in front of Israel. ²⁴ They kept pressing harder and harder on him till they’d destroyed him.             Jud 4:11-24