Chapter 4
1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh ’s sight , when Ehud was dead .
2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan , who reigned in Hazor ; the captain of whose army was Sisera , who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles .
3 The children of Israel cried to Yahweh , for he had nine hundred chariots of iron ; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years .
4 Now Deborah , a prophetess , the wife of Lappidoth , judged Israel at that time .
5 She lived under Deborah ’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment .
6 She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali , and said to him , "Hasn’t Yahweh , the God of Israel , commanded , ‘ Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor , and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun ?
7 I will draw to you , to the river Kishon , Sisera , the captain of Jabin ’s army , with his chariots and his multitude ; and I will deliver him into your hand .’"
8 Barak said to her , "If you will go with me , then I will go ; but if you will not go with me , I will not go ."
9 She said, " I will surely go with you . Nevertheless , the journey that you take won’t be for your honor ; for Yahweh will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand ." Deborah arose , and went with Barak to Kedesh .
10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh . Ten thousand men followed him ; and Deborah went up with him .
11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites , even from the children of Hobab , Moses ’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim , which is by Kedesh .
12 They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor .
13 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 .
14 Deborah said to Barak , " Go ; for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Sisera into your hand . Hasn’t Yahweh gone out before you ?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor , and ten thousand men after him .
15 Yahweh confused Sisera , all his chariots , and all his army , with the edge of the sword before Barak . Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet .
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and 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 .
17 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 .
18 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 .
19 He said to her , " Please give me a little water to drink ; for I am thirsty ." She opened a container of milk , and gave him a drink , and covered him .
20 He said to her , " Stand in the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you , and says, ‘ Is there any man here ?’ you shall say, ‘ No .’"
21 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 fainted and died .
22 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 .
23 So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel on that day .
24 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 .