JPS - Judges - 4

4:1  And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of HaShem, when Ehud was dead.

4:2  And HaShem gave them over into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-goiim.

4:3  And the children of Israel cried unto HaShem; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4:4  Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

4:5  And she sat under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

4:6  And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him: 'Hath not HaShem, the G-d 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?

4:7  And I will draw unto thee to the brook Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thy hand.

4:8  And Barak said unto her: 'If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go.'

4:9  And she said: 'I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thy honour; for HaShem will give Sisera over into the hand of a woman.' And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

4:10  And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand men at his feet; and Deborah went up with him.

4:11  Now Heber the Kenite had severed himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as Elon-bezaanannim, which is by Kedesh.

4:12  And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

4:13  And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth-goiim, unto the brook Kishon.

4:14  And Deborah said unto Barak: 'Up; for this is the day in which HaShem hath delivered Sisera into thy hand; is not HaShem gone out before thee?' So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

4:15  And HaShem discomfited 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.

4:16  But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth-goiim; and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left.

4:17  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.

4:18  And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him: 'Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not.' And he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

4:19  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.

4:20  And he said unto her: 'Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say: Is there any man here? that thou shalt say: No.'

4:21  Then Jael Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.

4:22  And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him: 'Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest.' And he came unto her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.

4:23  So G-d subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

4:24  And 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.