5 king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. And when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. And the Spirit of Jehovah came 10 upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and Jehovah delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 15 3.12. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of Jehovah and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of Jehovah. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and they possessed the 20 city of palm trees. So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of 25 Moab. But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that 30 bare the present. But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting alone in his summer parlour. And Ehud said, I have a 35 message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he drew not the dagger out of his belly. Then Ehud went 40 forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. And they tarried till they were ashamed: : : and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour ; therefore 45 they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim, and the children of 50 Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he before them. And he said unto them, Follow after me: for Jehovah hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. And they 55 slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. 3.31. And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which 60 slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel. 4.1. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah, when Ehud was dead. And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; 65 the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah : for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 4.4. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she 70 judged Israel at that time. And she sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not Jehovah, the God of Israel 75 commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. 80 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for And 85 Jehovah shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was 90 gone up to mount Tabor, And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which Jehovah hath delivered Sisera into thine 95 hand is not Jehovah gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And Jehovah discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera. lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But 100 Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left. Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king 105 of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. (Now Heber the Kenite had severed himself from the Kenites, the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.) 4.18. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, 110 Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. Again he said 115 unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and 120 it pierced through into the ground: for he was fast asleep. Then he swooned and died. And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of 125 Canaan before the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan. LESSON XXXIV THE SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARAK JUDGES 5.1 to 5.31 5.1. Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, For that the leaders led in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah ; I will sing praise to Jehovah the God of Israel. 5 IO The mountains melted from before Jehovah, Even that Sinai from before Jehovah the God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, 15 In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people. 20 25 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Let praise be heard from the voice of archers, in the places There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, Then did the people of Jehovah go down to the gates. Awake, awake, utter a song: Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people: Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff. As was Issachar, so was Barak ; Into the valley they rushed at his feet. By the water courses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart. Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, And why did Dan remain in ships? And abode by his creeks. Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field. The kings came and fought, Then fought the kings of Canaan In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: They took no gain of money. They fought from heaven; The stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. |