Add parallel Print Page Options

And the Bnei Yisroel again did rah in the sight of Hashem, when Ehud was dead.

And Hashem sold them into the yad Yavin Melech Kena’an, that reigned in Chatzor; the sar whose tze’va (army) was Sisra, which dwelt in Charoshet HaGoyim.

And the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem; for he had nine hundred chariots of barzel (iron); and twenty shanah he oppressed chazakah the Bnei Yisroel.

And isha Devorah, a neviah, the eshet Lapidot, judged Yisroel at that time.

And she held court under the Tomer Devorah between Ramah and Beit-El in har Ephrayim; Bnei Yisroel came up to her for mishpat.

And she sent and called Barak ben Avinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not Hashem Elohei Yisroel commanded, saying, Go and take position at Har Tavor, and take with thee ten thousand ish of the Bnei Naphtali and of the Bnei Zevulun?

And I will lure unto thee to the river Kishon the sar Tze’va Yavin, Sisra, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine yad.

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

And she said, I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the derech of thee shall not take thee to thy teferet (honor); for Hashem shall sell Sisra into the yad of an isha. And Devorah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak summoned Zevulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand ish at his feet; and Devorah went up with him.

11 Now Chever the Keni, which was of the Bnei Chovav the khoten Moshe, had separated from the Kayin [other Keni], and encamped his ohel unto the oak at Tzaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

12 And they told Sisra that Barak ben Avinoam was gone up to Har Tavor.

13 And Sisra gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of barzel (iron), and kol haAm that were with him, from Charoshet HaGoyim unto the river Kishon.

14 And Devorah said unto Barak, Go! For this is the day in which Hashem hath delivered Sisra into thine yad. Is not Hashem gone out before thee? So Barak went down from Har Tavor, and ten thousand ish after him.

15 And Hashem routed Sisra, and all his chariots, and kol hamachaneh, with the edge of the cherev before Barak; so that Sisra got down from his merkavah (chariot), and fled away on foot.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the machaneh, as far as Charoshet HaGoyim; and kol machaneh Sisra fell by the edge of the cherev; and there was not a man left.

17 Howbeit Sisra fled away on foot to the ohel Yael the isha of Chever the Keni; for there was shalom between Yavin Melech Chatzor and the Bais Chever Keni.

18 And Yael went out to meet Sisra, and said unto him, Turn in, adoni, stay with me; fear not. And when he had entered with her into the ohel, she covered him with a covering.

19 And he said unto her, Give me, now, a little mayim to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of cholov, and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand at the petach haohel, and it shall be, when any ish doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any ish here?‖thou shalt say, No.

21 Then Yael eshet Chever took a yetad haohel (tent peg), and took a makevet (hammer) in her yad, and went softly unto him, and drove the yetad into his temple, and stuck it into the ground; for he was fast asleep exhausted. So he died.

22 And, hinei, as Barak pursued Sisra, Yael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the ish whom thou seekest. And when he came into her ohel, hinei, Sisra lay dead, and the yetad was in his temple.

23 So Elohim subdued on that day Yavin Melech Kena’an before the Bnei Yisroel.

24 And the yad Bnei Yisroel prospered, and prevailed against Yavin Melech Kena’an, until they had destroyed Yavin Melech Kena’an.

Deborah

Again the Israelites did evil(A) in the eyes of the Lord,(B) now that Ehud(C) was dead. So the Lord sold them(D) into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.(E) Sisera,(F) the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron(G) and had cruelly oppressed(H) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

Now Deborah,(I) a prophet,(J) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. She held court(K) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah(L) and Bethel(M) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam(N) from Kedesh(O) in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali(P) and Zebulun(Q) and lead them up to Mount Tabor.(R) I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s(S) army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River(T) and give him into your hands.(U)’”

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.(V) 10 There Barak summoned(W) Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites,(X) the descendants of Hobab,(Y) Moses’ brother-in-law,[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree(Z) in Zaanannim(AA) near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,(AB) 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River(AC) all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.(AD)

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.(AE) Has not the Lord gone ahead(AF) of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed(AG) Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left.(AH) 17 Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael,(AI) the wife of Heber the Kenite,(AJ) because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor(AK) and the family of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael(AL) went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19 “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk,(AM) gave him a drink, and covered him up.

20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’”

21 But Jael,(AN) Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep,(AO) exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.(AP)

22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael(AQ) went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.(AR)

23 On that day God subdued(AS) Jabin(AT) king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 4:4 Traditionally judging
  2. Judges 4:11 Or father-in-law