1. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of
the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
2. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of
Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was
Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had
nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily
oppressed the children of Israel.
4. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged
Israel at that time.
5. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah
and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came
up to her for judgment.
6. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of
Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of
Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor,
and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of
Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7. And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the
captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his
multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I
will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not
go.
9. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding
the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour;
for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And
Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went
up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up
with him.
11. Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the
father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the
Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim,
which is by Kedesh.
12. And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was
gone up to mount Tabor.
13. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine
hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with
him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of
Kishon.
14. And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in
which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not
the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount
Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15. And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and
all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so
that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on
his feet.
16. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host,
unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera
fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man
left.
17. Howbeit 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. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn
in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned
in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water
to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk,
and gave him drink, and covered him.
20. Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and
it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and
say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
21. Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an
hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the
nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for
he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
22. And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet
him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man
whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold,
Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
23. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before
the children of Israel.
24. And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and
prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had
destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
