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.
Debora
14:1 Amu 3:15; 2:11; 2:19Baada ya Ehudi kufa, Waisraeli wakafanya tena maovu machoni pa Bwana. 24:2 Kum 32:30; Yos 11:1; 1Sam 12:9; Za 83:9Hivyo Bwana akawatia mikononi mwa Yabini, mfalme wa Kanaani, aliyetawala huko Hazori. Jemadari wa jeshi lake alikuwa Sisera, aliyeishi huko Haroshethi-Hagoyimu4:2 Haroshethi-Hagoyimu ina maana Haroshethi ya Mataifa. 34:3 Yos 17:16; Amu 10:12; Za 106:42; Amu 1:19Kwa kuwa Sisera alikuwa na magari ya chuma yapatayo 900, naye alikuwa amewatesa Waisraeli kwa ukatili kwa muda wa miaka ishirini, Waisraeli wakamlilia Bwana wakaomba msaada.
44:4 Amu 5:1, 7, 12; Kut 15:20Debora, nabii mwanamke, mkewe Lapidothi, ndiye alikuwa anaamua Israeli wakati ule. 54:5 1Sam 14:2; 22; 6; Yos 18:25; 12:5-9; Mwa 35:8Debora alikuwa akiketi chini ya Mtende wa Debora uliokuwa kati ya Rama na Betheli katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, nao Waisraeli wakaja kwake ili awaamue. 64:6 Amu 5:12-15; 1Sam 12:11; Ebr 11:32; Yos 12:22; Mwa 30:8; Amu 5:18; 6:35; Yos 19:22Akatuma wamwite Baraka mwana wa Abinoamu kutoka Kedeshi huko Naftali na kumwambia, “Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, anakuagiza: ‘Nenda, chukua wanaume 10,000 toka Naftali na Zabuloni, mwende Mlima Tabori. 74:7 Yos 11:1; Amu 5:12; 1Fal 18:40; Za 83:9; Amu 1:2Nitamshawishi Sisera, jemadari wa jeshi la Yabini, pamoja na magari yake na jeshi lake, hadi Mto Kishoni na kumtia mikononi mwako.’ ”
8Baraka akamwambia, “Ukienda pamoja nami nitakwenda, lakini usipokwenda pamoja nami, sitakwenda.”
94:9 Yos 12:22; Amu 2:14Debora akamwambia, “Hakika nitakwenda pamoja nawe, lakini njia unayoiendea haitakupa heshima wewe, kwa kuwa Bwana atamtia Sisera mikononi mwa mwanamke.” Hivyo Debora akaenda pamoja na Baraka mpaka Kedeshi, 104:10 2Nya 36:23; Ezr 1:2; Isa 41:2; 42:6; 45:3; 46:11; 48:15mahali ambapo Baraka aliwaita Zabuloni na Naftali. Watu 10,000 wakamfuata Baraka, na Debora pia akaenda pamoja naye.
114:11 Mwa 15:19; Hes 10:29; Yos 24:26; Amu 9:6; Yos 19:33Basi Heberi, Mkeni, alikuwa amejitenga na Wakeni wengine, yaani, wazao wa Hobabu, mkwewe Mose, naye akapiga hema lake karibu na ule mti mkubwa wa mwaloni ulioko Saananimu, karibu na Kedeshi.
124:12 Yos 19:22Sisera alipoambiwa kuwa Baraka mwana wa Abinoamu alikuwa amepanda Mlima Tabori, 134:13 Yos 17:16; Amu 4:7; 5:19Sisera akakusanya pamoja magari yake yote 600 ya chuma na watu wote waliokuwa pamoja naye, kuanzia Haroshethi-Hagoyimu mpaka Mto wa Kishoni.
144:14 Amu 1:2; Kum 9:3; 1Sam 8:20; 2Sam 5:24; Za 68:7Ndipo Debora akamwambia Baraka, “Nenda! Hii ndiyo siku ambayo Bwana amemtia Sisera mikononi mwako. Je, Bwana hakukutangulia mbele yako?” Hivyo Baraka akashuka kutoka Mlima Tabori, akifuatwa na watu 10,000. 154:15 Kut 14:24; Za 18:14; Kut 14:28; Za 83:9-10Bwana akamfadhaisha Sisera na magari yake yote, pamoja na jeshi lake lote kwa upanga mbele ya Baraka, naye Sisera akaliacha gari lake na kukimbia kwa miguu. 164:16 Kut 14:28; Za 83:9-10Lakini Baraka akafuata magari pamoja na jeshi mpaka Haroshethi-Hagoyimu. Jeshi lote la Sisera likaanguka kwa upanga, wala hakuna hata mtu mmoja aliyesalia.
174:17 Amu 5:6, 24; Mwa 15:19; Yos 11; 1Sisera, hata hivyo, akakimbia kwa miguu mpaka kwenye hema la Yaeli, mkewe Heberi, Mkeni, kwa sababu palikuwa na uhusiano wa kirafiki kati ya Yabini mfalme wa Hazori na ukoo wa Heberi, Mkeni.
18Yaeli akaenda kumlaki Sisera na kumwambia, “Karibu, bwana wangu, karibu ingia ndani kabisa. Usiogope.” Basi Sisera akaingia ndani ya hema ya Yaeli, naye akamfunika kwa blanketi nene.
194:19 Mwa 18:8; Amu 5:25Akamwambia, “Nina kiu, tafadhali nipe maji ya kunywa.” Ndipo akafungua kiriba cha maziwa na kumpa akanywa, kisha akamfunika.
20Naye Sisera akamwambia, “Simama mlangoni pa hema na mtu yeyote akija na kukuuliza, ‘Je, kuna mtu yeyote hapa?’ sema, ‘Hapana.’ ”
214:21 Mwa 2:21; 15:12; 1Sam 26:12; Isa 29:10; Yon 1:5; Amu 5:26Ndipo Yaeli, mkewe Heberi, akatwaa kigingi cha hema, akachukua nyundo mkononi mwake, akamwendea polepole, akiwa amelala usingizi, akiwa amechoka. Akakigongomea kile kigingi kwenye paji la uso wake, kikapenya hata kuingia ardhini, naye akafa.
224:22 Amu 5:27Baraka akakaribia akimfuatia Sisera, Yaeli akatoka kumlaki. Akamwambia, “Njoo, nitakuonyesha mtu unayemtafuta.” Hivyo wakaingia ndani ya hema wakiwa wamefuatana na tazama Sisera alikuwa amelala humo, akiwa amekufa, na hicho kigingi cha hema kikiwa kimegongomewa kupitia paji la uso wake.
234:23 Neh 9:24; Za 18:47; 44:2; 47:3; 144:2; Yos 11; 1Basi siku ile Mungu akamshinda Yabini, mfalme wa Kanaani, mbele ya Israeli. 244:24 Za 83:9; 106:43Nao mkono wa Waisraeli ukaendelea kuwa na nguvu zaidi na zaidi dhidi ya Yabini, mfalme wa Kanaani, mpaka wakamwangamiza.
