“1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the
LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of
Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose
host [was] Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred
chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the
children of Israel.”
“4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged
Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah
between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of
Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 And she sent and called Barak
the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath
not the LORD God of Israel commanded, [saying], Go and draw toward
mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of
Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7 And I will draw unto thee
to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his
chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 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. 9 And she
said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that
thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell
Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with
Barak to Kedesh.”
“10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went
up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, [which was] of the children of Hobab the
father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and
pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which [is] by Kedesh. 12
And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to
mount Tabor. 13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots,
[even] nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that [were]
with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this [is] the day in which
the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone
out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten
thousand men after him. 15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all
[his] chariots, and all [his] host, with the edge of the sword
before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off [his] chariot, and
fled away on his feet. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and
after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of
Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; [and] there was not a man
left.”
“17 Howbeit 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 And Jael went
out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to
me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she
covered him with a mantle. 19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray
thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a
bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20 Again he
said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when
any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man
here? that thou shalt say, No. 21 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail
of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto
him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the
ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And,
behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said
unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And
when he came into her [tent], behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail
[was] in his temples. 23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king
of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the
children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king
of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.” (Judges
4:1-24 AV)
© 2011-2018 Kathy L. McFarland. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy