The Judges & Ruth

"Awake, awake, D'vorah! Awake, awake, break into song! Arise, Barak! Lead away your captives, son of Avino'am!

"Then a remnant of the nobles marched down; the people of ADONAI marched down to me like warriors.

From Efrayim came those rooted in 'Amalek. Behind you, Binyamin is with your peoples. From Makhir the commanders marched down, and from Z'vulun those holding the musterer's staff.

The princes of Yissakhar were with D'vorah, Yissakhar, along with Barak; into the valley they rushed forth behind him. Among the divisions of Re'uven they made great resolutions in their hearts.

But why did you stay at the pens for the sheep, and listen to the shepherd's flute playing for the flocks? Concerning the divisions of Re'uven there were great searchings of heart.

Gil'ad lives beyond the Yarden. Dan - why does he stay by the ships? Asher stayed by the shore of the sea, remaining near its bays.

The people of Z'vulun risked their lives, Naftali too, on the open heights.

"Kings came; they fought. Yes, the kings of Kena'an fought at Ta'anakh, by the waters of Megiddo; but they took no spoil of silver.

They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses; yes, they fought against Sisra.

The Kishon River swept them away, that ancient river, the Kishon River. O my soul, march on with strength!

Then the horses' hoofs pounded the ground, their mighty steeds galloping at full speed.

"'Curse Meroz!' said the angel of ADONAI, 'Curse the people living there with a bitter punishment for not coming to help ADONAI, to help ADONAI against the mighty warriors.'

"Ya'el will be blessed more than all women. The wife of Hever the Keini will be blessed more than any woman in the tent.

He asked for water, and she gave him milk; In an elegant bowl she brought him curds.

Then she took a tent peg in her left hand and a workman's hammer in her right; with the hammer she struck Sisra, pierced his skull, yes, she shattered and crushed his temple.

He sank down at her feet, he fell and lay there; he sank at her feet, he fell - where he sank down, there he fell dead.

"Sisra's mother looks out the window; peering out through the lattice she wonders, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why are his horses so slow to return?'

The wisest of her ladies answer her, and she repeats it to herself,

'Of course! They're collecting and dividing the spoil a girl, two girls for every warrior, for Sisra booty of dyed clothing, a plunder of colorfully embroidered garments, two embroidered scarves for every soldier's neck.'

"May all your enemies perish like this, ADONAI; but may those who love him be like the sun going forth in its glory!" Then the land had rest for forty years.

But the people of Isra'el did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, so ADONAI handed them over to Midyan for seven years.

Midyan exercised its power harshly against Isra'el, and because of Midyan the people of Isra'el hid themselves in mountains, in caves and in other safe places.

One time, after Isra'el's sowing season, Midyan, with 'Amalek and others from the east, attacked them.

They set up camp by them and destroyed the produce of the country all the way to 'Azah; they left nothing for people to live on, no sheep, no oxen, no donkeys.

For they came up with their cattle and tents, and they came in as thick as locusts; both they and their camels were beyond numbering, and they came into the land to destroy it.