The Judges & Ruth

(Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses, was departed from the Kenites, and pitched his tent vntill the playne of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh)

Then they shewed Sisera, that Barak the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to mout Tabor.

And Sisera called for all his charets, euen nine hundreth charets of yron, and all the people that were with him from Harosheth of the Gentiles, vnto the riuer Kishon.

Then Deborah sayd vnto Barak, Vp: for this is the day that the Lord hath deliuered Sisera into thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went downe from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

And the Lord destroyed Sisera and all his charets, and al his hoste with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera lighted downe off his charet, and fled away on his feete.

But Barak pursued after the charets, and after the hoste vnto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the hoste of Sisera fel vpon the edge of the sworde: there was not a man left.

Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feete to the tent of Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite: (for peace was betweene Iabin the king of Hazor, and betweene the house of Heber the Kenite)

And Iael went out to meete Sisera, and sayd vnto him, Turne in, my lord, turne in to me: feare not. And when he had turned in vnto her into her tent, she couered him with a mantell.

And he said vnto her, Giue me, I pray thee, a litle water to drinke: for I am thirstie. And shee opened a bottel of milke, and gaue him drinke, and couered him.

Againe he sayde vnto her, Stande in the doore of the tent, and when any man doth come and enquire of thee, saying, Is any man there? thou shalt say, Nay.

Then Iael Hebers wife tooke a nayle of the tent, and tooke an hammer in her hande, and went softly vnto him, and smote the nayle into his temples, and fastened it into the grounde, (for he was fast a sleepe and weary) and so he dyed.

And behold, as Barak pursued after Sisera, Iael came out to meete him, and sayd vnto him, Come, and I wil shewe thee the man, whome thou seekest: and when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nayle in his temples.

So God brought downe Iabin the King of Canaan that day before the children of Israel.

And the hande of the children of Israel prospered, and preuailed against Iabin the King of Canaan, vntill they had destroyed Iabin King of Canaan.

Then sang Deborah, and Barak the sonne of Abinoam the same day, saying,

Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel, and for the people that offred themselues willingly.

Heare, ye Kings, hearken ye princes: I, euen I will sing vnto the Lord: I will sing praise vnto the Lord God of Israel.

Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou departedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heauens rained, the cloudes also dropped water.

The mountaines melted before the Lord, as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel.

In the dayes of Shamgar the sonne of Anath, in the dayes of Iael the hie wayes were vnoccupied, and the trauelers walked through by wayes.

The townes were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in Israel, vntill I Deborah came vp, which rose vp a mother in Israel.

They chose new gods: then was warre in the gates. Was there a shielde or speare seene among fourtie thousand of Israel?

Mine heart is set on the gouernours of Israel, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord.

Speake ye that ride on white asses, yee that dwel by Middin, and that walke by the way.

For the noyse of the archers appaised among the drawers of water: there shall they rehearse the righteousnesse of the Lord, his righteousnesse of his townes in Israel: then did the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates.