Judges 4:17–5:24
17 Now Sisera fled away on foot 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 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a 1rug.
19 aHe said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a 1bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.
20 He said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’ ”
21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, atook a tent peg and 1seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.
22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered 1with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.
23 So aGod subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel.
24 The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had 1destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan.
1 aThen Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2 “aThat 1the leaders led in Israel,
That bthe people volunteered,
Bless the Lord!
3 “Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers!
aI—to the Lord, I will sing,
I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.
4 “aLord, when You went out from Seir,
When You marched from the field of Edom,
bThe earth quaked, the heavens also dripped,
Even the clouds dripped water.
5 “aThe mountains 1quaked at the presence of the Lord,
bThis Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 “In the days of aShamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of bJael, the highways 1were deserted,
And travelers 2went by 3roundabout ways.
7 “The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 “aNew gods were chosen;
Then war was in the gates.
Not a shield or a spear was seen
Among forty thousand in Israel.
9 “My heart goes out to athe commanders of Israel,
The volunteers among the people;
Bless the Lord!
10 “aYou who ride on 1white donkeys,
You who sit on rich carpets,
And you who travel on the road—2sing!
11 “At the sound of those who divide flocks among athe watering places,
There they shall recount bthe righteous deeds of the Lord,
The righteous deeds for His 1peasantry in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord went down cto the gates.
12 “aAwake, awake, Deborah;
Awake, awake, 1sing a song!
Arise, Barak, and btake away your captives, O son of Abinoam.
13 “Then survivors came down to the nobles;
The people of the Lord came down to me as warriors.
14 “From Ephraim those whose root is ain Amalek came down,
Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples;
From Machir commanders came down,
And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of 1office.
15 “And the 1princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As was Issachar, so was Barak;
Into the valley they rushed aat his 2heels;
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.
16 “Why did you sit among athe 1sheepfolds,
To hear the piping for the flocks?
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great searchings of heart.
17 “aGilead 1remained across the Jordan;
And why did Dan stay in ships?
Asher sat at the seashore,
And 1remained by its landings.
18 “aZebulun was a people who despised their lives even to death,
And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
19 “aThe kings came and fought;
Then fought the kings of Canaan
bAt Taanach near the waters of Megiddo;
cThey took no plunder in silver.
20 “aThe stars fought from heaven,
From their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 “The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.
aO my soul, march on with strength.
22 “aThen the horses’ hoofs beat
From the dashing, the dashing of his 1valiant steeds.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord,
‘Utterly curse its inhabitants;
aBecause they did not come to the help of the Lord,
To the help of the Lord against the warriors.’
24 “aMost blessed of women is Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
Most blessed is she of women in the tent.