1 After Ehud died, the people of Israel sinned against Jehovah again.
2 Jehovah let them be conquered by Jabin, a Canaanite king who ruled in the city of Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived at Harosheth-Hagoyim.
3 Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he ruled the people of Israel with cruelty and violence for twenty years. The people of Israel cried out to Jehovah for help.
4 Now Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet, and she was serving as a judge for the Israelites at that time.
5 She held court under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim. The children of Israel came to her for judgment.
6 She sent for Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him: »Has Jehovah the God of Israel commanded, saying: Go and deploy troops at mount Tabor. Take ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 »And I will lure Sisera, the captain of Jabins army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.«
8 Barak said to her: »If you will go with me, then I will go. If you will not go with me I will not go.«
9 She said: »I will surely go with you. Never the less there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking. For Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.« Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men under his command. Deborah went with him.
11 Now 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 at the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12 They showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone to mount Tabor.
13 Sisera gathered together all his nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the nations to the Kishon River.
14 Deborah said to Barak: »Get up, for this is the day in which Jehovah has delivered Sisera into your hand. Jehovah has gone out before you.« So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
15 Jehovah routed Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera dismounted his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the army to Harosheth-Hagoyim. All of Siseras army fell by the edge of the sword. Not one person was left.
17 Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. 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: »Come my lord, come right in. Do not be afraid.« When he came in to her tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19 He said to her: »Please give me a little water to drink for I am thirsty.« She opened a jug of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
20 Again he said: »Stand at the door of the tent. When any man comes to inquire and asks: Is there a man here? Say: »No.« «
21 Then Jael Hebers wife picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went to him while he was fast asleep and drove the peg into his temple and it went down into the ground. He was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
22 Barak pursued Sisera and Jael came out to meet him. She said to him: »Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.« He went to her tend and saw Sisera lay dead with the peg in his temple.
23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
24 The children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.