Dual PanelDeborah
1AFTER Ehud's death the Israelites once again did what was wrong in the eyes of the LORD,
2and he sold them into the power of Jabin, the Canaanite king who ruled in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles.
3The Israelites cried to the LORD for help, because Sisera with his nine hundred iron-clad chariots had oppressed Israel harshly for twenty years.
4At that time Deborah wife of Lappidoth, a prophetess, was judge in Israel.
5It was her custom to sit under the Palm Tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Israelites seeking a judgement went up to her.
6She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “This is the command of the LORD the God of Israel: Go and lead out ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun and bring them with you to Mount Tabor.
7I shall draw out to you at the wadi Kishon Jabin's commander Sisera, along with his chariots and troops, and deliver him into your power.”
8Barak answered, “If you go with me, I shall go, but if you will not go, neither shall I.”
9“Certainly I shall go with you,” she said, “but this venture will bring you no glory, because the LORD will leave Sisera to fall into the hands of a woman.” Deborah set off with Barak and went to Kedesh.
10Barak mustered Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh and marched up with ten thousand followers; Deborah went up with him.
11Now Heber the Kenite had parted company with the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and he had pitched his tent at Elon-bezaanannim near Kedesh.
12When it was reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
13he mustered all nine hundred of his iron-clad chariots, along with all the troops he had, and marched from Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles to the wadi Kishon.
14Deborah said to Barak, “Up! This day the LORD is to give Sisera into your hands. See, the LORD has marched out at your head!” Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men at his back,
15and the LORD threw Sisera and all his chariots and army into panic-stricken rout before Barak's onslaught; Sisera himself dismounted from his chariot and fled on foot.
16Barak pursued the chariots and the troops as far as Harosheth, and the whole army was put to the sword; not a man was left alive.
17Meanwhile Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite, because King Jabin of Hazor and the household of Heber the Kenite were on friendly terms.
18Jael came out to greet Sisera and said, “Come in, my lord, come in here; do not be afraid.” He went into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
19He said to her, “Give me some water to drink, for I am thirsty.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.
20He said to her, “Stand at the tent door, and if anyone comes and asks if there is a man here, say ‘No.’”
21But as Sisera lay fast asleep through exhaustion Jael took a tent-peg, picked up a mallet, and, creeping up to him, drove the peg into his temple, so that it went down into the ground, and Sisera died.
22When Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I shall show you the man you are looking for.” He went in with her, and there was Sisera lying dead with the tent-peg in his temple.
23That day God gave victory to the Israelites over King Jabin of Canaan,
24and they pressed home their attacks upon him until he was destroyed.