Judges 4; Judges 5

1 The children of Yisra'el again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.

2 The LORD sold them into the hand of Yavin king of Kana`an, who reigned in Hatzor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who lived in Haroshet of the Goyim.

3 The children of Yisra'el cried to the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Yisra'el.

4 Now Devorah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidot, she judged Yisra'el at that time.

5 She lived under the palm tree of Devorah between Ramah and Beit-El in the hill-country of Efrayim: and the children of Yisra'el came up to her for judgment.

6 She sent and called Barak the son of Avino`am out of Kedesh-Naftali, and said to him, Hasn't the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, commanded, [saying], Go and draw to Mount Tavor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naftali and of the children of Zevulun?

7 I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Yavin'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: notwithstanding, the journey that you take shall not be for your honor; for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Devorah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 Barak called Zevulun and Naftali together to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand men at his feet: and Devorah went up with him.

11 Now Hever the Keni had separated himself from the Kinim, even from the children of Hovav the brother-in-law of Moshe, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Tza`anannim, which is by Kedesh.

12 They told Sisera that Barak the son of Avino`am was gone up to Mount Tavor.

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

14 Devorah said to Barak, Up; 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 Tavor, and ten thousand men after him.

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

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, to Haroshet of the Goyim: and all the host 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 Ya`el the wife of Hever the Keni; for there was shalom between Yavin the king of Hatzor and the house of Hever the Keni.

18 Ya`el went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don't be afraid. He turned 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 bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 He said to her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man does come and inquire of you, and say, Is there any man here? that you shall say, No.

21 Then Ya`el Hever's wife took a tent-pin, 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.

22 Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Ya`el 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-pin was in his temples.

23 So God subdued on that day Yavin the king of Kana`an before the children of Yisra'el.

24 The hand of the children of Yisra'el prevailed more and more against Yavin the king of Kana`an, until they had destroyed Yavin king of Kana`an.

1 Then sang Devorah and Barak the son of Avino`am on that day, saying,

2 For that the leaders took the lead in Yisra'el, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless you the LORD.

3 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 Yisra'el.

4 LORD, when you went forth out of Se`ir, When you marched out of the field of Edom, The eretz trembled, the sky also dropped, Yes, the clouds dropped water.

5 The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, Even Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Yisra'el.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of `Anat, In the days of Ya`el, the highways were unoccupied, The travelers walked through byways.

7 The rulers ceased in Yisra'el, they ceased, Until that I Devorah arose, That I arose a mother in Yisra'el.

8 They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Yisra'el?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Yisra'el, Who offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless you the LORD.

10 Tell [of it], you who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on rich carpets, You who walk by the way.

11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, [Even] the righteous acts of his rule in Yisra'el. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.

12 Awake, awake, Devorah; Awake, awake, utter a song: Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Avino`am.

13 Then came down a remnant of the nobles [and] the people; The LORD came down for me against the mighty.

14 Out of Efrayim [came down] they whose root is in `Amalek; After you, Binyamin, among your peoples; Out of Makhir came down governors, Out of Zevulun those who handle the marshal's staff.

15 The princes of Yissakhar were with Devorah; As was Yissakhar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Re'uven There were great resolves of heart.

16 Why sat you among the sheepfolds, To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Re'uven There were great searchings of heart.

17 Gil`ad abode beyond the Yarden: Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, Abode by his creeks.

18 Zevulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death, Naftali, on the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Kana`an. In Ta`nakh by the waters of Megiddo: They took no gain of money.

20 From the sky the stars fought, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.

22 Then did the horse hoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.

23 Curse you Meroz, said the angel of the LORD. Curse you bitterly the inhabitants of it, Because they didn't come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women shall Ya`el be, The wife of Hever the Keni; Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25 He asked water, [and] she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

26 She put her hand to the tent-pin, Her right hand to the workmen's hammer; With the hammer she struck Sisera, she struck through his head; Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.

27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; At her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28 Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera [cried] through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to herself,

30 Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A lady, two ladies to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

31 So let all your enemies perish, LORD: But let those who love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. The land had rest forty years.