Deborah
1After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 2So the Lord handed them over to the power of Jabin. He was a king in Canaan. He ruled in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera. He lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3Jabin used 900 chariots that had some iron parts. He treated the Israelites very badly for 20 years. So they cried out to the Lord for help.
4Deborah was a prophet. She was the wife of Lappidoth. She was leading Israel at that time. 5Under the Palm Tree of Deborah she served the people as their judge. That place was between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites went up to her there. They came to have her decide cases for them. She settled matters between them. 6Deborah sent for Barak. He was the son of Abinoam. Barak was from Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. Deborah said to Barak, “The Lord, the God of Israel, is giving you a command. He says, ‘Go! Take 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun with you. Then lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7I will lead Sisera into a trap. He is the commander of Jabin’s army. I will bring him, his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River. There I will hand him over to you.’ ”
8Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I’ll go. But if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
9“All right,” Deborah said. “I’ll go with you. But because of the way you are doing this, you won’t receive any honor. Instead, the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went to Kedesh with Barak. 10There he sent for men from Zebulun and Naphtali. And 10,000 men followed him into battle. Deborah also went with him.
11Heber, the Kenite, had left the other Kenites. They came from the family line of Hobab. He was the brother-in-law of Moses. Heber set up his tent by the large tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12Sisera was told that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13So Sisera gathered together his 900 chariots that had some iron parts. He also gathered together all his men. He brought them from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! Today the Lord will hand Sisera over to you. Hasn’t the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor. His 10,000 men followed him. 15As Barak’s men marched out, the Lord drove Sisera away from the field of battle. The Lord scattered all of Sisera’s chariots. Barak’s men struck down Sisera’s army with their swords. Sisera got down from his chariot. He ran away on foot.
16Barak chased Sisera’s chariots and army. Barak chased them all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. All of Sisera’s troops were killed by swords. Not even one was left. 17But Sisera ran away on foot. He ran to the tent of Jael. She was the wife of Heber, the Kenite. Sisera ran there because there was a treaty between Heber’s family and Jabin, the king of Hazor.
18Jael went out to meet Sisera. “Come in, sir,” she said. “Come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent. Then she covered him with a blanket.
19“I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” So Jael opened a bottle of milk. The bottle was made out of animal skin. She gave him a drink of milk. Then she covered him up again.
20“Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “Someone might come by and ask you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ If that happens, say ‘No.’ ”
21But Heber’s wife Jael picked up a tent stake and a hammer. She went quietly over to Sisera. He was lying there, fast asleep. He was very tired. She drove the stake through his head right into the ground. So he died.
22Just then Barak came by because he was chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him. “Come right in,” she said. “I’ll show you the man you are looking for.” So he went in with her. Sisera was lying there with the stake through his head. He was dead.
23On that day God brought Jabin under Israel’s control. He was a king in Canaan. 24Israel’s power grew stronger and stronger against King Jabin. The Israelites became so strong that they destroyed him.
士师底波拉
1以笏死后，以色列人又做耶和华视为恶的事。 2耶和华把他们交在统治夏琐的迦南王耶宾手中。耶宾王的将军叫西西拉，住在夏罗设。 3耶宾王拥有九百辆铁战车，他残暴地压迫以色列人二十年。以色列人向耶和华呼求。
4当时做士师的是一位名叫底波拉的女先知，她是拉比多的妻子， 5经常坐在以法莲山区拉玛和伯特利之间的底波拉棕树下，审理以色列人的事情。 6她派人去拿弗他利的基低斯召来亚比挪庵的儿子巴拉，对他说：“以色列的上帝耶和华命你率领一万拿弗他利人和西布伦人上他泊山。 7祂必使耶宾的将军西西拉率领全军和战车到基顺河与你交战，祂必把西西拉交在你手中。” 8巴拉回答说：“你跟我去，我就去；你不跟我去，我就不去。” 9底波拉说：“好，我一定与你同去。不过，你这次出征一定得不到荣耀，因为耶和华要把西西拉交在一名妇人手上。”于是，他们一同前往基低斯。 10巴拉招聚了一万名拿弗他利人和西布伦人，底波拉与他一起出征。
11摩西的岳父何巴的后人基尼人希百离开自己的族人，在基低斯附近撒拿音的橡树旁搭帐篷居住。
12西西拉得知亚比挪庵的儿子巴拉已经上了他泊山， 13便召集全军和九百辆铁战车离开夏罗设，向基顺河进军。 14底波拉对巴拉说：“出击吧！今天耶和华要把西西拉交在你手中。看啊，耶和华已经率先出战了！”于是，巴拉率领一万人下了他泊山， 15进攻西西拉。耶和华使西西拉的战车和军队惊慌失措，败在巴拉刀下。西西拉弃车徒步逃跑， 16巴拉追击他的战车和军队，直到夏罗设。西西拉全军都死于刀下，无一幸免。
17只有西西拉一人徒步逃到基尼人希百的妻子雅亿的帐篷，因为耶宾王和希百家向来友好。 18雅亿出来迎接西西拉，对他说：“我主，请进，不用怕！”西西拉便走进帐篷，雅亿为他盖上毯子。 19西西拉说：“我口渴，请给我一点水吧。”雅亿打开皮袋给他奶喝，然后又给他盖上毯子。 20西西拉又说：“请你守着门口，倘若有人查问，你就说没人来过这里。” 21西西拉因疲劳过度，沉沉入睡。雅亿乘机拿起锤子和一根帐篷的橛子，悄悄地走到他身旁，把橛子钉进他的太阳穴，直插到地里。西西拉就这样死了。 22巴拉追来了，雅亿出来迎接他，对他说：“你找的人在这里，进来看看吧。”巴拉和她进了帐篷，见西西拉死在那里，太阳穴上还插着橛子。
23那天，上帝使以色列人战胜了迦南王耶宾。 24以色列人越战越勇，最终消灭了耶宾王。
