Judges 4

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Once Ehud was dead, the Israelites again began doing what is evil in Yahweh's eyes,	1 After Ehud's death, however, the Israelites again offended the LORD.
2 and Yahweh handed them over to Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned at Hazor. The commander of hisarmy was Sisera, who lived in Haroshet-ha-Goi m.	2 So the LORD allowed them to fall into the power of the Canaanite king, Jabin, who reigned in Hazor. The general of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-ha-goiim.
3 The Israelites then cried to Yahweh; for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruel y oppressedthe Israelites for twenty years.	3 But the Israelites cried out to the LORD; for with his nine hundred iron chariots he sorely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.
4 Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at the time.	4 At this time the prophetess Deborah, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel.
5 She used to sit under Deborah's Palm between Ramah and Bethel in the highlands of Ephraim, and theIsraelites would come to her for justice.	5 She used to sit under Deborah's palm tree, situated between Ramah and Bethel in the mountain region of Ephraim, and there the Israelites came up to her for judgment.
6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, 'Has not Yahweh, God ofIsrael, commanded, "Go! March to Mount Tabor and with you take ten thousand of the sons of Naphtali and thesons of Zebulun.	6 She sent and summoned Barak, son of Abinoam, from Kedesh of Naphtali. "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, commands," she said to him; "go, march on Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand Naphtalites and Zebulunites.
7 I shall entice Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, to encounter you at the Torrent of Kishon with hischariots and troops; and I shal put him into your power"? '	7 I will lead Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, out to you at the Wadi Kishon, together with his chariots and troops, and will deliver them into your power."
8 Barak replied, 'If you come with me, I shall go; if you will not come, I shal not go, for I do not know howto choose the day when the angel of Yahweh will grant me success.'	8 But Barak answered her, "If you come with me, I will go; if you do not come with me, I will not go."
9 'I shall go with you then,' she said, 'but, the way you are going about it, the glory wil not be yours; forYahweh wil deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.' Deborah then stood up and went with Barak to Kedesh.	9 "I will certainly go with you," she replied, "but you shall not gain the glory in the expedition on which you are setting out, for the LORD will have Sisera fall into the power of a woman." So Deborah joined Barak and journeyed with him to Kedesh.
10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men marched behind him, and Deborah wentwith him.	10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men followed him. Deborah also went up with him.
11 Heber the Kenite had parted company with the tribe of Kain and with the sons of Hobab, father-in-lawof Moses; he had pitched his tent near the Oak of Zaanannim, not far from Kedesh.	11 Now the Kenite Heber had detached himself from his own people, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent by the tere-binth of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.
12 Sisera was informed that Barak son of Abinoam had encamped on Mount Tabor.	12 It was reported to Sisera that Barak, son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 Sisera summoned all his chariots -- nine hundred iron chariots -- and al the troops he had, fromHarosheth-ha-Goi m to the Torrent of Kishon.	13 So Sisera assembled from Harosheth-ha-goiim at the Wadi Kishon all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all his forces.
14 Deborah said to Barak, 'Up! For today is the day when Yahweh has put Sisera into your power. Is notYahweh marching at your head?' And Barak charged down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men behindhim.	14 Deborah then said to Barak, "Be off, for this is the day on which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your power. The LORD marches before you." So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by his ten thousand men.
15 At Barak's advance, Yahweh struck terror into Sisera, all his chariots and his entire army. Sisera leaptdown from his chariot and fled on foot.	15 And the LORD put Sisera and all his chariots and all his forces to rout before Barak. Sisera himself dismounted from his chariot and fled on foot.
16 Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-ha-Goiim. Sisera's whole army fel bythe edge of the sword; not one man was spared.	16 Barak, however, pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-ha-goiim. The entire army of Sisera fell beneath the sword, not even one man surviving.
17 Sisera meanwhile fled on foot towards the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. For there waspeace between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.	17 Sisera, in the meantime, had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of the Kenite Heber, since Jabin, king of Hazor, and the family of the Kenite Heber were at peace with one another.
18 Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, 'Stay here, my lord, with me; do not be afraid!' Hestayed with her in her tent, and she covered him with a rug.	18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come in, my lord, come in with me; do not be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a rug.
19 He said to her, 'Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.' She opened the skin of milk,gave him some to drink and covered him up again.	19 He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink. I am thirsty." But she opened a jug of milk for him to drink, and then covered him over.
20 Then he said to her, 'Stand at the tent door, and if anyone comes and questions you -- if he asks, "Isthere a man here?" say, "No." '	20 "Stand at the entrance of the tent," he said to her. "If anyone comes and asks, 'Is there someone here?' say, 'No!'"
21 But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent-peg and picked up a mallet; she crept up softly to him and drovethe peg into his temple right through to the ground. He was lying fast asleep, worn out; and so he died.	21 Instead Jael, wife of Heber, got a tent peg and took a mallet in her hand. While Sisera was sound asleep, she stealthily approached him and drove the peg through his temple down into the ground, so that he perished in death.
22 And now Barak came up in pursuit of Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said, 'Come in, and I wilshow you the man you are looking for.' He went into her tent; and there was Sisera dead, with the tent-pegthrough his temple.	22 Then when Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, "Come, I will show you the man you seek." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
23 Thus God that day humbled Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.	23 Thus on that day God humbled the Canaanite king, Jabin, before the Israelites;
24 And the Israelites bore down more and more heavily on that king of Canaan, Jabin, until he was utterlydestroyed.	24 their power weighed ever heavier upon him, till at length they destroyed the Canaanite king, Jabin.