So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men with him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera leaped down from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host: and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left.
Howbeit 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. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not."
And he turned in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And he said to 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. And he said to 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.'"
Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent-pin, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep, and weary; so he died. And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, "Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." And he came to her; [{54}] and, behold, Sisera lay dead and the tent-pin was in his temple.
So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day,--
| A SONG OF TRIUMPH. |
"For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye the Lord. "Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel. Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water The mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord, Even yonder Sinai at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel. "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travelers walked through byways. The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel. |