Judges 4 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Deborah and Barak

4 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud had died. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin(A) king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.(B) The commander of his forces was Sisera(C) who lived in Harosheth of the Nations.[a] 3 Then the Israelites cried out(D) to the Lord, because Jabin had 900 iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them 20 years.

4 Deborah, a woman who was a prophetess(E) and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 It was her custom to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her for judgment.(F)

6 She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, the God of Israel,(G) commanded you: ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor,(H) and take with you 10,000 men from the Naphtalites(I) and Zebulunites?(J) 7 Then I will lure Sisera commander of Jabin’s forces, his chariots, and his army at the Wadi Kishon(K) to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you.’”(L)

8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

9 “I will go with you,” she said, “but you will receive no honor on the road you are about to take, because the Lord will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; 10,000 men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the sons of Hobab,(M) Moses’ father-in-law,(N) and pitched his tent beside the oak tree of Zaanannim,(O) which was near Kedesh.

12 It was reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor. 13 Sisera summoned all his 900 iron chariots and all the people who were with him from Harosheth of the Nations[b] to the Wadi Kishon. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Move on, for this is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over to you. Hasn’t the Lord gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.

15 The Lord threw Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army into confusion(P) with the sword before Barak. Sisera left his chariot and fled on foot. 16 Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth of the Nations,[c] and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.

17 Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Don’t 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 a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again. 20 Then he said to her, “Stand at the entrance to the tent. If a man comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’” 21 While he was sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She hammered the peg into his temple and drove it into the ground, and he died.

22 When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he went in with her, and there was Sisera lying dead with a tent peg through his temple!

23 That day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 The power of the Israelites continued to increase against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 4:2 Or Harosheth-ha-goiim
  2. Judges 4:13 Or Harosheth-ha-goiim
  3. Judges 4:16 Or Harosheth-ha-goiim

Cross references

  1. 4:2 : Jos 11:1; Ps 83:9
  2. 4:2 : 1Sm 12:9
  3. 4:2 : Jdg 5:20-30; 1Sm 12:9; Ps 83:9
  4. 4:3 : Ex 14:10; Nm 12:13; Dt 26:7; Ps 34:17
  5. 4:4 : Ex 15:20; 2Kg 22:14; Neh 6:14; Is 8:3
  6. 4:5 : Nm 35:12; 2Ch 19:8; Ps 9:4; 76:8-9; Is 3:13-14; Ezk 44:24
  7. 4:6 : Ex 5:1; Dt 6:4; Ps 41:13
  8. 4:6 : Jos 19:12, 22, 34; Ps 89:12
  9. 4:6 : Gn 30:8; 49:21
  10. 4:6 : Gn 30:20; 49:13
  11. 4:7 : Jdg 5:21; 1Kg 18:40; Ps 83:9
  12. 4:7 : Dt 2:30; Jdg 7:9; 2Sm 5:19; 1Ch 14:10; Is 47:6
  13. 4:11 : Nm 10:29
  14. 4:11 : Ex 3:1; 4:18; 18:1-27
  15. 4:11 : Jos 19:33
  16. 4:15 : Ex 14:24; 23:27; Jos 10:10; Ps 18:14; 144:6

You Might Also Like:

Judges 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 And the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah when Ehud is dead, 2 and Jehovah selleth them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who hath reigned in Hazor, and the head of his host [is] Sisera, and he is dwelling in Harosheth of the Goyim; 3 and the sons of Israel cry un...
Read More

Judges 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 And the sons of Israel added to do evil in the sight of the Lord, after the death of Ehud. (And the Israelites did more evil before the Lord, after the death of Ehud.) 2 And the Lord betook them into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; and he had a duke of his host, Sisera b...
Read More

Judges 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when Ehud was dead. 2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for ...
Read More

Judges 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

God takes what is different about Ehud and makes it a strength. This is God’s habit throughout the Old Testament—making unlikely heroes into agents of His deliverance from the enemies of Israel. Earlier God used Moses, an infant marked for death, to liberate His people from Egypt. Soon God will use ...
Read More

Judges 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Deborah, Barak and Yael4 But Bnei-Yisrael again did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes after Ehud had died. 2 So Adonai sold them over into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. His army commander was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goyim[a]. 3 So Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai, ...
Read More

Judges 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Deborah and Barak4 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sis′era, who dwelt in Haro′sheth-ha-goi′im. 3 Then the people of Israel...
Read More

Judges 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Deborah and Barak4 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sis′era, who dwelt in Haro′sheth-ha-goiim. 3 Then the people of Israel ...
Read More

Judges 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Deborah and Barak4 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lo...
Read More

Judges 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Deborah and Barak4 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died.(A)2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim.(B)3 Then the Israelites cried out to the ...
Read More

Judges 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Deborah Becomes Israel’s Judge4 After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 2 So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppre...
Read More

Judges 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

Deborah and Barak4 After Ehud died, the people of Israel sinned in the eyes of the Lord again. 2 So the Lord let them be taken by Jabin king of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. The head of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. 3 The people of Israel cried to the Lord, for Jabin had 900 i...
Read More

Judges 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Deborah4 When Ehud was dead, (A)the children of Israel again did (B)evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 So the Lord (C)sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in (D)Hazor. The commander of his army was (E)Sisera, who dwelt in (F)Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cri...
Read More

Judges 4 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Deborah4 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron ...
Read More

Judges 4 - New International Version (NIV)

Deborah4 Again the Israelites did evil(A) in the eyes of the Lord,(B) now that Ehud(C) was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them(D) into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.(E) Sisera,(F) the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots f...
Read More

Judges 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Deborah4 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 So 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. 3 Jabin used 900 chariots that had...
Read More

Judges 4 - New English Translation (NET)

Deborah Summons Barak4 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight[a] after Ehud’s death. 2 The Lord turned them over to[b] King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor.[c] The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.[d] 3 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, be...
Read More