Shuphatym (Judges) — 4

Deborah Becomes Yashar'AL’s Judge

1 After Ahud’s death, the Yasharalym again did evil in the sight of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. 

2 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH turned them over to King Yabin of Hazur, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisara, who lived in Harushath-hagguyim. 

3 Sisara, who had nine hundred iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Yasharalym for twenty years. Then the people of Yashar'AL cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH for help.

4 Daburah, the wife of Lappiduth, was a Nabym who was judging Yashar'AL at that time. 

5 She would sit under the Palm of Daburah, between Ramah and Bathal in the hill country of Aphraim, and the Yasharalym would go to her for judgment. 

6 One day she sent for Barak son of Abinuam, who lived in Kadash in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, commands you: Call out ten thousand warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zabulun at Mount Tabur. 

7 And I will call out Sisara, commander of Yabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishun River, there I will give you victory over him.”

8 Barak told her, “I will go, but only if you go with me.”

9 “Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the victory of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH over Sisara will be at the hands of a woman.” So Daburah went with Barak to Kadash. 

10 At Kadash, Barak called together the tribes of Zabulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand warriors went up with him. Daburah also went with him.

11 Now Habar the Kanite, a descendant of Musha’s brother-in-law Hubab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kadash.

12 When Sisara was told that Barak son of Abinuam had gone up to Mount Tabur, 

13 he called for all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harushath-hagguyim to the Kishun River.

14 Then Daburah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will give you victory over Sisara, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his ten thousand warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabur into battle. 

15 When Barak attacked, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  threw Sisara and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisara leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot. 

16 Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harushath-hagguyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.

17 Meanwhile, Sisara ran to the tent of Ya'al, the wife of Habar the Kanite, because Habar’s family was on friendly terms with King Yabin of Hazur. 

18 Ya'al went out to meet Sisara and said to him, “Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19 “Please give me some water,” he said. “I’m thirsty.” So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.

20 “Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her. “If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”

21 But when Sisara fell asleep from exhaustion, Ya'al quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.

22 When Barak came looking for Sisara, Ya'al went out to meet him. She said, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisara lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.

23 So on that day Yashar'AL saw  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH defeat Yabin, the Canaanite king. 

24 And from that time on Yashar'AL became stronger and stronger against King Yabin until they finally destroyed him.