Judges Chapter 4

Judges Chapter 4
1 And the children of Israel began again
to do wickedly 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, whose chief captain was called
Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the
Gentiles.
3 Then the children of Israel cried unto
the Lord: (for he had nine hundred
chariots of iron, and twenty years he had
vexed the children of Israel very sore)
4 And at that time Deborah a Prophetess
the wife of Lapidoth judged Israel. 5
And this Deborah dwelt under a palm
tree, between Ramah and Beth-el in
mount Ephraim, and the children of
Israel came up to her for judgment. 6
Then she sent and called Barak the son
of Abinoam out of Kadesh of Naphtali,
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 will deliver him into thine
hand. 8 And Barak said unto her, If thou
wilt go with me, I will go: but if thou
wilt not go with me, I will not go.
9 Then she answered, I will surely go
with thee, but this journey that thou
takest, shall not be for thine honor: 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 on
his feet with ten thousand men, and
Deborah went up with him.
11 (Now Heber the Kenite, which was
of the children of Hobab the father in
law of Moses, was departed from the
Kenites, and pitched his tent until the
plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh)
12 Then they showed Sisera, that Barak
the son of Abinoam was gone up to
mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera called for 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
Kishon.
14 Then Deborah said unto Barak, Up:
for this is the day that 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
destroyed 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: 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 peace was between Jabin
the king of Hazor, and between 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 her 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 when any man doth come
and inquire of thee, saying, Is any man
here? Thou shalt say, Nay. 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) and so he died. 22 And behold,
as Barak pursued after Sisera, Jael came
out to meet him, and said unto him,
Come, and I will show thee the man,
whom thou seekest: and when he came
into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead,
and the nail in his temples.
23 So God brought down Jabin the king
of Canaan that day 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.