4:1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD.
4:2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.
4:3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.
4:4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.
4:5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.
4:6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor.
4:7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”
4:8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
4:9 “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh,
4:10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
4:11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
4:12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
4:13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
4:14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men.
4:15 At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.
4:16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.
4:17 Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.
4:18 Jael 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 put a covering over him.
4:19 “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.
4:20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say ‘No.’”
4:21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.
4:22 Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael 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.
4:23 On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites.
4:24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.
4:1 Then the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah after Ehud died.
4:2 And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin the king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. And the captain of his army was Sisera, who dwelt at Harosheth-hagoyim.
4:3 And the children of Israel cried out to Jehovah, for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the children of Israel severely twenty years.
4:4 Now Deborah was a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth. She judged Israel at that time.
4:5 And she would sit under the palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. And the children of Israel went up to her for judgment.
4:6 And she sent word and called to Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, Jehovah the God of Israel has indeed commanded: Go and deploy your forces on Mount Tabor; and take with you ten thousand men from the children of Naphtali and from the children of Zebulun.
4:7 And I will draw out Sisera, the captain of Jabin s army, with his chariots and his throng, toward you at the river Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand.
4:8 And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, I will go; but if you do not go with me, I will not go.
4:9 And she said, I will surely go with you. However there will be no glory for you on the journey you are taking, for Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah rose up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
4:10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up behind him; and Deborah went up with him.
4:11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses. And he pitched his tent at the terebinth in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
4:12 And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam went up to Mount Tabor.
4:13 And Sisera called all his chariots ? nine hundred iron chariots ? and all the people who were with him from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.
4:14 And Deborah said to Barak, Rise up, for this is the day when Jehovah will deliver Sisera into your hand. Jehovah has indeed gone out before you. So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men after him.
4:15 And Jehovah threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his army into confusion with the edge of the sword before Barak, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.
4:16 But Barak pursued after the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim. And all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.
4:17 Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there had been peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
4:18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera; and she said to him, Turn here, my lord; turn here to me; do not be afraid. So he turned to her into her tent, and she covered him with a rug.
4:19 And he said to her, Give me please a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.
4:20 And he said to her, Stand at the entrance of the tent; and if anyone comes and asks you, saying, Is there a man here? you shall say, No.
4:21 Then Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg and put a hammer in her hand and went quietly to him. And she drove the peg into his temple, and it pierced through to the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. And he died.
4:22 And Barak was at that moment pursuing Sisera when Jael came out to meet him. And she said to him, Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking. And he went with her; and there was Sisera, fallen dead with the peg in his temple.
4:23 So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
4:24 And the hand of the children of Israel became heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan until they destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan.