Herren giver sejr gennem profeten Debora
1Efter Ehuds død gjorde israelitterne igen, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne. 2Da udleverede Herren dem til kana’anæerkongen Jabin af Hatzor. Kongens hærfører hed Sisera, og han boede i Haroshet-ha-Gojim. 3Med sine 900 stridsvogne med jernbeslåede hjul besejrede han israelitterne og undertrykte dem brutalt i 20 år. Til sidst råbte folket til Herren om hjælp.
4På det tidspunkt var profeten Debora, Lappidots kone, dommer i Israel. 5Hun plejede at sidde under Deboras palmetræ et sted mellem Rama og Betel i Efraims højland, og dér kom israelitterne til hende med deres retssager.
6En dag sendte Debora bud efter Barak, Abinoams søn, der boede i Kedesh i Naftalis land. „Herren, Israels Gud, har befalet, at du skal samle 10.000 mænd fra Naftalis og Zebulons stammer på Tabors bjerg,” sagde hun til Barak. 7„Så vil Herren lokke kong Jabins hærfører, Sisera, hans hær og stridsvogne til Kishonbækken og udlevere dem til dig dér.”
8„Godt,” svarede Barak, „jeg tager af sted—men på den betingelse, at du tager med!”
9„Jeg skal gerne gå med,” svarede Debora. „Men i så fald bliver det en kvinde, der får æren for sejren over Sisera og ikke dig.” Derpå fulgte hun med ham til Kedesh. 10Da de nåede derhen, samlede Barak Zebulons og Naftalis stammer og 10.000 mand drog af sted til Tabor. Debora gik med.
11Nu var der en mand ved navn Heber, som havde slået lejr i nærheden af egetræet ved Sa’anannim. Han var efterkommer af Moses’ svoger Hobab, men havde fjernet sig fra sine øvrige kenitiske slægtninge.
12Da Sisera fik at vide, at Barak og hans hær havde slået lejr på Tabors bjerg, 13mobiliserede han hele hæren og alle 900 jernvogne og marcherede fra Haroshet-ha-Gojim til Kishonbækken.
14Da sagde Debora til Barak: „Bryd op! Herren vil gå foran dig og give dig sejr over Sisera i dag.” Straks førte Barak sine 10.000 mand ned fra Tabors bjerg og rykkede frem til angreb.
15Idet Barak angreb, skabte Herren panik blandt Siseras mænd og vogne, så Sisera måtte springe ned fra sin vogn og flygte til fods. 16Barak og hans mænd forfulgte fjenderne og deres vogne helt til Haroshet-ha-Gojim, indtil hele Siseras hær var hugget ned.
17-18I mellemtiden var Sisera undsluppet og var nået til kenitten Hebers lejr. Hebers slægt havde nemlig indgået en venskabspagt med kong Jabin af Hatzor. Hebers kone, Jael, gik nu Sisera i møde og sagde: „Her har du intet at frygte. Kom med ind i mit telt.” Så fulgte han med hende ind i teltet, hvor hun dækkede ham til med et tæppe. 19„Giv mig lidt vand,” sagde han til hende, „jeg er så tørstig.” Hun gav ham lidt mælk fra lædersækken og dækkede ham til igen. 20„Stil dig i teltdøren,” fortsatte han, „og hvis der kommer nogen og spørger, om der er en kriger her, skal du sige nej.”
21Men da Sisera var faldet i søvn af udmattelse, tog Jael en spids teltpløk og en hammer og sneg sig hen til ham. Så hamrede hun pløkken gennem tindingen på ham og ned i jorden.
22Da Barak senere kom for at lede efter Sisera, gik Jael ham i møde og sagde: „Kom, så skal jeg vise dig ham, du leder efter.” Da fulgte Barak efter hende ind i teltet og fandt Sisera død med teltpløkken gennem tindingen.
23Den dag så israelitterne, hvordan Herren gav dem sejr over kana’anæerkongen Jabin, 24og fra den dag fik Israels folk mere og mere overtaget, indtil de til sidst fik udryddet ham og hans folk.
1And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2And 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. 3And 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. 5And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, 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? 7And 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. 8And 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. 9And 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. 11Now 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. 12And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 13And 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.4.13 together: Heb. by cry, or, proclamation 14And 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. 15And 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. 16But 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.4.16 a man: Heb. unto one
17Howbeit 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.4.18 mantle: or, rug, or, blanket 19And 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. 20Again 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. 21Then 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.4.21 and took: Heb. and put 22And, 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. 23So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.4.24 prospered…: Heb. going went and was hard
