The Judges & Ruth

Now Hever the Keini had cut himself off from the rest of Kayin, the descendants of Hovav Moshe's father-in-law; he had pitched his tent near the oak at Tza'ananim, which is close to Kedesh.

Sisra was informed that Barak the son of Avino'am had gone up to Mount Tavor.

So Sisra rallied his chariots, all 900 iron chariots, and all the troops he had with him, from Haroshet-HaGoyim to the Kishon River.

D'vorah said to Barak: "Get going! This is the day when ADONAI will hand Sisra over to you! ADONAI has gone out ahead of you!" So Barak went down from Mount Tavor with 10,000 men following him;

and ADONAI threw Sisra, all his chariots and his entire army into a panic before Barak's sword; so that Sisra got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

But Barak pursued the chariots and the army all the way to Haroshet-HaGoyim. Sisra's entire army was put to the sword; not one man was left.

However, Sisra ran on foot to the tent of Ya'el the wife of Hever the Keini, because there was peace between Yavin the king of Hatzor and the family of Hever the Keini.

Ya'el went out to meet Sisra and said to him, "Come in, my lord; stay here with me; and don't be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink - I'm thirsty." She opened a goatskin of milk, gave him some to drink, and covered him up again.

He said to her, "Stand at the entrance to the tent; and if anyone asks you if somebody is here, say, 'No.'"

But when he was deeply asleep, Ya'el the wife of Hever took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, crept in to him quietly and drove the tent peg into his temple, right through to the ground; so that he died without waking up.

So here is Barak pursuing Sisra, and Ya'el steps out to meet him and says, "Come, I will show you the man you are looking for." He goes into her tent; and there is Sisra, lying dead with the tent peg through his temple.

Thus God on that day defeated Yavin the king of Kena'an in the presence of the people of Isra'el.

The hand of the people of Isra'el came down more and more heavily against Yavin the king of Kena'an, until they had completely destroyed Yavin the king of Kena'an.

On that day D'vorah and Barak the son of Avino'am sang this song:

"When leaders in Isra'el dedicate themselves, and the people volunteer, you should all bless ADONAI.

Hear, kings; listen, princes; I will sing to ADONAI! I will sing praise to ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

"ADONAI, when you went out from Se'ir, when you marched out from the field of Edom; the earth quaked, and the sky shook; yes, the clouds poured down torrents.

The mountains melted at the presence of ADONAI, at Sinai, before ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

"In the days of Shamgar the son of 'Anat, in the days of Ya'el, the main roads were deserted; travelers walked the byways.

The rulers ceased in Isra'el, they ceased, until you arose, D'vorah, arose a mother in Isra'el.

"They chose new gods when war was at the gates. Was there a shield or spear to be seen among Isra'el's forty thousand men?

My heart goes out to Isra'el's leaders and to those among the people who volunteer. All of you, bless ADONAI.

"You who ride white donkeys, sitting on soft saddle-blankets, and you walking on the road, talk about it!

Louder than the sound of archers at the watering-holes will they sound as they retell the righteous acts of ADONAI, the righteous acts of his rulers in Isra'el. "Then ADONAI's people marched down to the gates.