Judges 4

1And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord after the death of Aod,

2And the Lord delivered them up into the hands of Jaban king of Chanaan, who reigned in Asor: and he had a general of his army named Sisara, and he dwelt in Haroseth of the Gentiles.

3And the children of Israel cried to the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots set with scythes, and for twenty years had grievously oppressed them.

4And there was at that time Debbora a prophetess the wife of Lapidoth, who judged the people,

5And she sat under a palm tree, which was called by her name, between Rama and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for all judgment.

6And she sent and called Barac the son of Abinoem out of Cedes in Nephtali: and she said to him: The Lord God of Israel hath commanded thee: Go, and lead an army to mount Thabor, and thou shalt take with thee ten thousand fighting men of the children of Nephtali, and of the children of Zabulon:

7And I will bring unto thee in the place of the torrent Cison, Sisara the general of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and all his multitude, and will deliver them into thy hand.

8And Barac said to her: If thou wilt come with me, I will go: if thou wilt not come with me, I will not go.

9She said to him: I will go indeed with thee, but at this time the victory shall not be attributed to thee, because Sisara shall be delivered into the hand of a woman. Debbora therefore arose, and went with Barac to Cedes.

10And he called unto him Zabulon and Nepbtali, and went up with ten thousand fighting men, having Debbora in his company.

11Now Haber the Cinite had some time before departed from the rest of the Cinites his brethren the sons of Hobab, the kinsman of Moses: and had pitched his tents unto the valley which is called Sellnim, and was near Cedes.

12And it was told Sisara, that Barac the son of Ablinoem was gone up to mount Thabor:

13And he gathered together his nine hundred chariots armed with scythes, and all his army from Haroseth of the Gentiles to the torrent Cison.

14And Debbora said to Barac: Arise, for this is the day wherein the Lord hath delivered Sisara into thy hands: behold he is thy leader. And Barac went down from mount Thabor, and ten thousand fighting men with him.

15And the Lord struck a terror into Sisara, and all his chariots, and all his multitude, with the edge of the sword, at the sight of Barac, insomuch that Sisara leaping down from off his chariot, fled away on foot.

16And Barac pursued after the fleeing chariots and the army unto Haroseth of the Gentiles, and all the multitude of the enemies was utterly destroyed.

17But Sisara fleeing came to the tent of Jahel the wife of Haber the Cinite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Asor, and the house of Haber the Cinite.

18And Jahel went forth to meet Sisara, and said to him: Come in to me, my lord, come in, fear not. He went in to her tent, and being covered by her with a cloak,

19Said to her: Give me, I beseech thee, a little water, for I am very thirsty. She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him.

20And Sisara said to her: Stand before the door of the tent, and when any shall come and inquire of thee, saying: Is there any man here? thou shalt say: There is none.

21So Jahel Haber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and taking also a hammer: and going in softly, and with silence, she put the nail upon the temples of his head, and striking it With the hammer, drove it through his brain fast into the ground: and so passing from deep sleep to death, he fainted away and died.

22And behold Barac came pursuing after Sisara: and Jahel went out to meet him, and said to him: Come, and I will shew thee, the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, be saw Sisara lying dead, and the nail fastened in his temples.

23So God that day humbled Jabin the king of Chanaan before the children of Israel:

24Who grew daily stronger, and with a mighty hand overpowered Jabin king of Chanaan, till they quite destroyed him.

1Addideruntque filii Israël facere malum in conspectu Domini post mortem Aod,

2et tradidit illos Dominus in manus Jabin regis Chanaan, qui regnavit in Asor: habuitque ducem exercitus sui nomine Sisaram, ipse autem habitabat in Haroseth gentium.

3Clamaveruntque filii Israël ad Dominum: nongentos enim habebat falcatos currus, et per viginti annos vehementer oppresserat eos.

4Erat autem Debbora prophetis uxor Lapidoth, quæ judicabat populum in illo tempore.

5Et sedebat sub palma, quæ nomine illius vocabatur, inter Rama et Bethel in monte Ephraim: ascendebantque ad eam filii Israël in omne judicium.

6Quæ misit et vocavit Barac filium Abinoëm de Cedes Nephthali: dixitque ad eum: Præcepit tibi Dominus Deus Israël: Vade, et duc exercitum in montem Thabor, tollesque tecum decem millia pugnatorum de filiis Nephthali, et de filiis Zabulon:

7ego autem adducam ad te in loco torrentis Cison, Sisaram principem exercitus Jabin, et currus ejus, atque omnem multitudinem, et tradam eos in manu tua.

8Dixitque ad eam Barac: Si venis mecum, vadam: si nolueris venire mecum, non pergam.

9Quæ dixit ad eum: Ibo quidem tecum, sed in hac vice victoria non reputabitur tibi, quia in manu mulieris tradetur Sisara. Surrexit itaque Debbora, et perrexit cum Barac in Cedes.

10Qui, accitis Zabulon et Nephthali, ascendit cum decem millibus pugnatorum, habens Debboram in comitatu suo.

11Haber autem Cinæus recesserat quondam a ceteris Cinæis fratribus suis, filiis Hobab cognati Moysi: et tetenderat tabernacula usque ad vallem, quæ vocatur Sennim, et erat juxta Cedes.

12Nuntiatumque est Sisaræ quod ascendisset Barac filius Abinoëm in montem Thabor:

13et congregavit nongentos falcatos currus, et omnem exercitum de Haroseth gentium ad torrentem Cison.

14Dixitque Debbora ad Barac: Surge, hæc est enim dies, in qua tradidit Dominus Sisaram in manus tuas: en ipse ductor est tuus. Descendit itaque Barac de monte Thabor, et decem millia pugnatorum cum eo.

15Perterruitque Dominus Sisaram, et omnes currus ejus, universamque multitudinem in ore gladii ad conspectum Barac: in tantum, ut Sisara de curru desiliens, pedibus fugeret,

16et Barac persequeretur fugientes currus, et exercitum usque ad Haroseth gentium, et omnis hostium multitudo usque ad internecionem caderet.

17Sisara autem fugiens pervenit ad tentorium Jahel uxoris Haber Cinæi. Erat enim pax inter Jabin regem Asor, et domum Haber Cinæi.

18Egressa igitur Jahel in occursum Sisaræ, dixit ad eum: Intra ad me, domine mi: intra, ne timeas. Qui ingressus tabernaculum ejus, et opertus ab ea pallio,

19dixit ad eam: Da mihi, obsecro, paululum aquæ, quia sitio valde. Quæ aperuit utrem lactis, et dedit ei bibere, et operuit illum.

20Dixitque Sisara ad eam: Sta ante ostium tabernaculi: et cum venerit aliquis interrogans te, et dicens: Numquid hic est aliquis? respondebis: Nullus est.

21Tulit itaque Jahel uxor Haber clavum tabernaculi, assumens pariter et malleum: et ingressa abscondite et cum silentio, posuit supra tempus capitis ejus clavum, percussumque malleo defixit in cerebrum usque ad terram: qui soporem morti consocians defecit, et mortuus est.

22Et ecce Barac sequens Sisaram veniebat: egressaque Jahel in occursum ejus, dixit ei: Veni, et ostendam tibi virum quem quæris. Qui cum intrasset ad eam, vidit Sisaram jacentem mortuum, et clavum infixum in tempore ejus.

23Humiliavit ergo Deus in die illo Jabin regem Chanaan coram filiis Israël:

24qui crescebant quotidie, et forti manu opprimebant Jabin regem Chanaan, donec delerent eum.

1But after the death of Ehud, the sons of Israel resumed doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

2And the Lord delivered them into the hands of Jabin, the king of Canaan, who reigned at Hazor. And he had a commander of his army named Sisera, but this man lived at Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3And the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. For he had nine hundred chariots with scythes, and he vehemently oppressed them for twenty years.

4Now there was a prophetess, Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, who judged the people in that time.

5And she was sitting under a palm tree, which was called by her name, between Ramah and Bethel, on Mount Ephraim. And the sons of Israel went up to her for every judgment.

6And she sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedesh of Naphtali. And she said to him: “The Lord, the God of Israel, instructs you: ‘Go and lead an army to Mount Tabor, and you shall take with you ten thousand fighting men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun.

7Then I will lead to you, at the place of the torrent Kishon, Sisera, the leader of the army of Jabin, with his chariots and the entire multitude. And I will deliver them into your hand.’ ”

8And Barak said to her: “If you will come with me, I will go. If you are not willing to come with me, I will not go.”

9She said to him: “Indeed, I will go with you. But due to this change, the victory shall not be reputed to you. And so Sisera will be delivered into the hand of a woman.” Therefore, Deborah rose up, and she traveled with Barak to Kedesh.

10And he, summoning Zebulun and Naphtali, ascended with ten thousand fighting men, having Deborah in his company.

11Now Heber, the Kenite, had previously withdrawn from the rest of the Kenites, his brothers, the sons of Hobab, the relative of Moses. And he had pitched his tents as far as the valley that is called Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.

12And it was reported to Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had ascended to Mount Tabor.

13And he gathered together the nine hundred chariots with scythes, and the entire army, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the torrent Kishon.

14And Deborah said to Barak: “Rise up. For this is the day on which the Lord delivers Sisera into your hands. For he is your commander.” And so, Barak descended from Mount Tabor, and the ten thousand fighting men with him.

15And the Lord struck Sisera with great fear, and all his chariots and all his multitude with the edge of the sword, in the sight of Barak, so much so that Sisera, leaping from his chariot, fled on foot.

16And Barak pursued the fleeing chariots, and the army, as far as Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the entire multitude of the enemy was cut down, unto utter annihilation.

17But Sisera, while fleeing, arrived at 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.

18Therefore, Jael went out to meet Sisera, and she said to him: “Enter to me, my lord. Enter, you should not be afraid.” And he entered her tent, and having been covered by her with a cloak,

19he said to her: “Give me, I beg you, a little water. For I am very thirsty.” And she opened a bottle of milk, and she gave him to drink. And she covered him.

20And Sisera said to her: “Stand before the door of the tent. And if anyone arrives, questioning you and saying, ‘Could there be any man here?’ you shall respond, ‘There is no one.’ ”

21And so Jael, the wife of Heber, took a spike from the tent, and also took a mallet. And entering unseen and with silence, she placed the spike over the temple of his head. And striking it with the mallet, she drove it through his brain, as far as the ground. And so, joining deep sleep to death, he fell unconscious and died.

22And behold, Barak arrived, in pursuit of Sisera. And Jael, going out to meet him, said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And when he had entered her tent, he saw Sisera lying dead, with the spike fixed in his temples.

23Thus did God humble Jabin, the king of Canaan, on that day, before the sons of Israel.

24And they increased every day. And with a strong hand they overpowered Jabin, the king of Canaan, until they wiped him out.