Trying to Stop Sisera |
Judges 4:1-24 The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks] |
Again, the children [people] of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, [Canaan’s] king, [who ruled] in Hazor. |
The captain of his [army] was Sisera, [who lived] in Harosheth of the Gentiles. and the children [people] of Israel cried [out] to the Lord, [because Sisera] had 900 iron chariots & oppressed the children [people] of Israel mightily for 20 years. |
Deborah, the prophetess & wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time. She [stayed] under the Palm Tree of Deborah, between Ramah & Beth El in Mount Ephraim & the [people] of Israel came up to her for judgment. |
She sent [for] Barak, [Abinoam’s] son, [from] Kedesh Naphtali & said to him, Hasn’t the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go toward Mount Tabor & take with you 10,000 men [from the tribes] of: Naphtali & Zebulun? |
I [the Lord God] will draw you to the Kishon River [&] Sisera, captain of Jabin’s [large] army & his chariots. And I will deliver him into your [hands.] Barak said to [Deborah,] If you will go with me, I will go, but if you won’t go with me, I won’t go. |
And she said, I will surely go with you, [but] the journey you take [won’t provide glory for you, because] the Lord shall [put] Sisera into the hand of a woman. Deborah arose & went with Barak to Kedesh. |
Barak called [both] Zebulun & Naphtali to Kedesh. He went up with 10,000 men [marching] at his feet, [along with] Deborah. Now, Heber, the Kenite, [who] was of the [people] of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law, [who had separated] himself from the Kenites & pitched his tent [in] the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. |
They [showed] Sisera that Barak, [Abinoam’s] son, [had] gone up to Mount Tabor. [So,] Sisera gathered together all his 900 iron chariots & all the people with him from Harosheth of the Gentiles & [went] to the Kishon River. |
Deborah said to Barak, This is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. [Hasn’t] the Lord [already] gone out before you? So, Barak went down from Mount Tabor [with] 10,000 men after him. |
The Lord [routed & overwhelmed] Sisera & his army & chariots [in front of] Barak; [by] the edge of the sword; so that Sisera [jumped] off his chariot & fled away on his feet. |
But Barak pursued after Sisera’s [army] & chariots to Harosheth. And all [Sisera’s army] fell [by] the edge of the sword & not a man was left. [However,] Sisera fled on his feet to the tent of Jael, [Heber’s] wife, the Kenite, [because] there was peace between Jabin, [Hazor’s] king & the house of Heber, the Kenite. |
And Jael went out to meet Sisera & [she] said, Turn [aside] to me, my lord & [don’t be fearful.] When [Sisera] went into her tent, she covered him with a [blanket.] He said to her, I pray [that you] give me a little water [to] drink; for I am thirsty. She opened a bottle of [milk] & gave [it to] him & covered him. |
Again, he said to her, Stand in the door of the tent & [if any] man [asks] you, Is there any man here? You shall say, No. [When,] Sisera was fast asleep, [for he] was very [tired;] |
Then, Jael took a [tent] nail & hammer in her hand & went softly to [Sisera] & [pounded] the nail into his temples & fastened it into the ground, so he died. |
As Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him & said, Come & I will [show] you the man whom you seek. And when [Barak] came into her tent, [he saw, that] Sisera lay dead & the nail was in his temples. |
So, God [defeated] Jabin, [Canaan’s] king, before the [people] of Israel on that day. And the hand of the [people] of Israel prospered & prevailed, until they had destroyed Jabin, [Canaan’s] king. |