< Judges 4 >

1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord after the death of Aod,
And the children of Israel continued to do evil against the Lord; and Aod was dead.
2 And the Lord delivered them up into the hands of Jaban king of Chanaan, who reigned in Asor: and he had a general of his army named Sisara, and he dwelt in Haroseth of the Gentiles.
And the Lord sold the children of Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Chanaan, who ruled in Asor; and the chief of his host was Sisara, and he lived in Arisoth of the Gentiles.
3 And the children of Israel cried to the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots set with scythes, and for twenty years had grievously oppressed them.
And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, because he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed Israel twenty years.
4 And there was at that time Debbora a prophetess the wife of Lapidoth, who judged the people,
And Debbora, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, —she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she sat under a palm tree, which was called by her name, between Rama and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for all judgment.
And she sat under the palm tree of Debbora between Rama and Baethel in mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel went up to her for judgement.
6 And she sent and called Barac the son of Abinoem out of Cedes in Nephtali: and she said to him: The Lord God of Israel hath commanded thee: Go, and lead an army to mount Thabor, and thou shalt take with thee ten thousand fighting men of the children of Nephtali, and of the children of Zabulon:
And Debbora sent and called Barac the son of Abineem out of Cades Nephthali, and she said to him, Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded you? and you shall depart to mount Thabor, and shall take with yourself ten thousand men of the sons of Nephthali and of the sons of Zabulon.
7 And I will bring unto thee in the place of the torrent Cison, Sisara the general of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and all his multitude, and will deliver them into thy hand.
And I will bring to you to the torrent of Kison Sisara the captain of the host of Jabin, and his chariots, and his multitude, and I will deliver them into your hands.
8 And Barac said to her: If thou wilt come with me, I will go: if thou wilt not come with me, I will not go.
And Barac said to her, If you will go with me, I will go; and if you will not go, I will not go; for I know not the day on which the Lord prospers his messenger with me.
9 She said to him: I will go indeed with thee, but at this time the victory shall not be attributed to thee, because Sisara shall be delivered into the hand of a woman. Debbora therefore arose, and went with Barac to Cedes.
And she said, I will surely go with you; but know that your honour shall not attend on the expedition on which you go, for the Lord shall sell Sisara into the hands of a women: and Debbora arose, and went with Barac out of Cades.
10 And he called unto him Zabulon and Nepbtali, and went up with ten thousand fighting men, having Debbora in his company.
And Barac called Zabulon and Nephthali out of Cades, and there went up at his feet ten thousand men, and Debbora went up with him.
11 Now Haber the Cinite had some time before departed from the rest of the Cinites his brethren the sons of Hobab, the kinsman of Moses: and had pitched his tents unto the valley which is called Sellnim, and was near Cedes.
And Chaber the Kenite had removed from Caina, from the sons of Jobab the father-in-law of Moses, and pitched his tent by the oak of the covetous ones, which is near Kedes.
12 And it was told Sisara, that Barac the son of Ablinoem was gone up to mount Thabor:
And it was told Sisara that Barac the son of Abineem was gone up to mount Thabor.
13 And he gathered together his nine hundred chariots armed with scythes, and all his army from Haroseth of the Gentiles to the torrent Cison.
And Sisara summoned all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron and all the people with him, from Arisoth of the Gentiles to the brook of Kison.
14 And Debbora said to Barac: Arise, for this is the day wherein the Lord hath delivered Sisara into thy hands: behold he is thy leader. And Barac went down from mount Thabor, and ten thousand fighting men with him.
And Debbora said to Barac, Rise up, for this [is] the day on which the Lord has delivered Sisara into your hand, for the Lord shall go forth before you: and Barac went down from mount Thabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15 And the Lord struck a terror into Sisara, and all his chariots, and all his multitude, with the edge of the sword, at the sight of Barac, insomuch that Sisara leaping down from off his chariot, fled away on foot.
And the Lord discomfited Sisara, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barac: and Sisara descended from off his chariot, and fled on his feet.
16 And Barac pursued after the fleeing chariots and the army unto Haroseth of the Gentiles, and all the multitude of the enemies was utterly destroyed.
And Barac pursued after the chariots and after the army, into Arisoth of the Gentiles; and the whole army of Sisara fell by the edge of the sword, there was not one left.
17 But Sisara fleeing came to the tent of Jahel the wife of Haber the Cinite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Asor, and the house of Haber the Cinite.
And Sisara fled on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Chaber the Kenite his friend: for there was peace between Jabin king of Asor and the house of Chaber the Kenite.
18 And Jahel went forth to meet Sisara, and said to him: Come in to me, my lord, come in, fear not. He went in to her tent, and being covered by her with a cloak,
And Jael went, out to meet Sisara, and said to him, Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me, fear not: and he turned aside to her into the tent; and she covered him with a mantle.
19 Said to her: Give me, I beseech thee, a little water, for I am very thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him.
And Sisara said to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty: and she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him.
20 And Sisara said to her: Stand before the door of the tent, and when any shall come and inquire of thee, saying: Is there any man here? thou shalt say: There is none.
And Sisara said to her, Stand now by the door of the tent, and it shall come to pass if any man come to you, and ask of you, and say, Is there [any] man here? then you shall say, There is not.
21 So Jahel Haber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and taking also a hammer: and going in softly, and with silence, she put the nail upon the temples of his head, and striking it With the hammer, drove it through his brain fast into the ground: and so passing from deep sleep to death, he fainted away and died.
And Jael the wife of Chaber took a pin of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him, and fastened the pin in his temple, and it went through to the earth, and he fainted away, and darkness fell upon him and he died.
22 And behold Barac came pursuing after Sisara: and Jahel went out to meet him, and said to him: Come, and I will shew thee, the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, be saw Sisara lying dead, and the nail fastened in his temples.
And, behold, Barac [was] pursuing Sisara: and Jael went out to meet him, and he said to him, Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek: and he went in to her; and, behold, Sisara was fallen dead, and the pin [was] in his temple.
23 So God that day humbled Jabin the king of Chanaan before the children of Israel:
So God routed Jabin king of Chanaan in that day before the children of Israel.
24 Who grew daily stronger, and with a mighty hand overpowered Jabin king of Chanaan, till they quite destroyed him.
And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin king of Chanaan, until they utterly destroyed Jabin king of Chanaan.

< Judges 4 >