The Judges & Ruth

Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the brother-in-Torah of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.

They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor.

Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.

Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t the LORD gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

The LORD confused Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the army, to Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left.

However 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.

Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

He said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’”

Then Jael Heber’s wife took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples.

So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, the LORD!

“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD. I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.

“LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.

The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, even Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.

“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.

The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.

They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD!

“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.

Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.