might know, to teach them war, at the least such as beforetime knew nothing thereof; namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entrance of Hamath. And they were there, to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 13And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees. And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 15But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed; and the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of Moab. 16And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh. "And he offered the present unto Eglon king of Moabnow Eglon was a very fat man. 18And "And the children of Israel did that when he had made an end of offering which was evil in the sight of the LORD, the present, he sent away the people and forgot the LORD their God, and that bore the present. 19But he himserved the Baalim and the Asheroth. self turned back from the quarries "Therefore the anger of the LORD was that were by Gilgal, and said: kindled against Israel, and He gave have a secret errand unto thee, O them over into the hand of Cushan- king.' And he said: 'Keep silence.' rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim; And all that stood by him went out and the children of Israel served from him. 20And Ehud came unto Cushan-rishathaim eight years. "And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 1oAnd the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 12And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against 'I him; and he was sitting by himself alone in his cool upper chamber. And Ehud said: 'I have a message from God unto thee.' And he arose out of his seat. 21And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword 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 sword out of his belly; and it came out behind. 23Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper chamber upon him, and locked them. Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; and they' said: 'Surely he is covering his feet at that time. "And she sat under the in the cabinet of the cool chamber.' palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah 25 And they tarried till they were and Beth-el in the hill-country of ashamed; and, behold, he opened not Ephraim; and the children of Israel the doors of the upper chamber; there- came up to her for judgment. And fore they took the key, and opened she sent and called Barak the son of them; and, behold, their lord was Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and fallen down dead on the earth. And said unto him: 'Hath not the LORD, Ehud escaped while they lingered, the God of Israel, commanded, saying: having passed beyond the quarries, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and escaped unto Seirah. 27 And it and take with thee ten thousand men came to pass, when he was come, that of the children of Naphtali and of the he blew a horn in the hill-country of children of Zebulun? And I will draw Ephraim, and the children of Israel unto thee to the brook Kishon Sisera, went down with him from the hill- the captain of Jabin's army, with his country, and he before them. 28 And chariots and his multitude; and I will he said unto them: 'Follow after me; deliver him into thy hand.' 8And for the LORD hath delivered your en- Barak said unto her: 'If thou wilt emies the Moabites into your hand.' go with me, then I will go; but if thou And they went down after him, and wilt not go with me, I will not go.' took the fords of the Jordan against And she said: 'I will surely go with the Moabites, and suffered not a man thee; notwithstanding the journey to pass over. 29 And they smote of that thou takest shall not be for thy Moab at that time about ten thousand honour; for the LORD will give Sisera men, every lusty man, and every man over into the hand of a woman.' And of valour; and there escaped not a Deborah arose, and went with Barak man. 30So Moab was subdued that to Kedish. 10And Barak called Zebday under the hand of Israel. And ulun and Naphtali together to Kethe land had rest fourscore years. desh; and there went up ten thousand men at his feet; and Deborah went up with him. 31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel. 4 And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. And the LORD gave them over into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-goiim. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. "Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel hand; is not the LORD gone out before thee?' So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 16But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth-goiim; and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left. 17Howbeit 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 of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him: 'Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not.' And he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19And 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. 20 And he said unto her: 'Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say: Is there any man here? that thou shalt say: No.' 21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a tentpin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died. 22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him: 'Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest.' And he came unto her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tentpin was in his temples. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. "My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 Ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich cloths, And ye that walk by the way, tell of it; "Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs! There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, Even the righteous acts of His rulers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates. "Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. "Then made He a remnant to have dominion over the nobles and the people; The LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. "Out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff. "And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart. "Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart. "Gilead abode beyond the Jordan; And Dan, why doth he sojourn by the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, And abideth by its bays. 18 Zebulun is a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field. 19The kings came, they fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; They took no gain of money. 20They fought from heaven, The stars in their courses fought against Sisera. 21The brook Kishon swept them away, That ancient brook, the brook Kishon. O my soul, tread them down with strength. 22Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones. 23' Curse ye Meroz', said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.' 24 Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent shall she be blessed. 25Water he asked, milk she gave him; In a lordly bowl she brought him curd. 26 Her hand she put to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the work men's hammer; And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples. 27 At her feet he sunk, he fell, he lay; At her feet he sunk, he fell; Where he sunk, there he fell down dead. 28 Through the window she looked forth, and peered, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it. And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. "And it came to pass, when the Why tarry the wheels of his char-children of Israel cried unto the LORD iots?' 29The wisest of her princesses answer her, Yea, she returneth answer to herself: 30'Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments of embroidery, Two dyed garments of broidery for the neck of every spoiler?' So perish all Thine enemies, O LORD; But they that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years. 6 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them; and they encamped against them, and destroyed the produce of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no because of Midian, that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel; and he said unto them: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. 10 And I said unto you: I am the LORD your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not hearkened unto My voice.' "And the angel of the LORD came, and sat under the terebinth which was in Ophrah, that belonged unto Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him: 'The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.' And Gideon said unto him: 'Oh, my lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all His wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying: Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.' And the LORD turned towards him, and said: 'Go in this |