Judges 4

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Once Ehud was dead, the Israelites again began doing what is evil in Yahweh's eyes,	1 But after the death of Ehud, the sons of Israel resumed doing evil in the sight of 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 And 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.
3 The Israelites then cried to Yahweh; for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruel y oppressedthe Israelites for twenty years.	3 And 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.
4 Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at the time.	4 Now there was a prophetess, Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, who judged the people in that time.
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 And 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.
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 And 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.
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 Then 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.’ ”
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 And 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.”
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 She 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.
10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men marched behind him, and Deborah wentwith him.	10 And he, summoning Zebulun and Naphtali, ascended with ten thousand fighting men, having Deborah in his company.
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 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.
12 Sisera was informed that Barak son of Abinoam had encamped on Mount Tabor.	12 And it was reported to Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had ascended 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 And he gathered together the nine hundred chariots with scythes, and the entire army, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the torrent Kishon.
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 And 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.
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 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.
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 And 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.
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 But 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.
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 Therefore, 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,
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: “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.
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 And 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.’ ”
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 And 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.
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 And 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.
23 Thus God that day humbled Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.	23 Thus did God humble Jabin, the king of Canaan, on that day, before the sons of Israel.
24 And the Israelites bore down more and more heavily on that king of Canaan, Jabin, until he was utterlydestroyed.	24 And they increased every day. And with a strong hand they overpowered Jabin, the king of Canaan, until they wiped him out.