HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 590
J U D G ES 4
20 Ehud walked over to Eglon, who was sitting
alone in a cool upstairs room. And Ehud said,
“I have a message from God for you!” As King
Eglon rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with
his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped
to his right thigh, and plunged it into the
king’s belly. 22 The dagger went so deep that
the handle disappeared beneath the king’s fat.
So Ehud did not pull out the dagger, and the
king’s bowels emptied.* 23 Then Ehud closed
and locked the doors of the room and escaped
down the latrine.*
24 After Ehud was gone, the king’s servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room
locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room, 25 so they waited. But when
the king didn’t come out after a long delay, they
became concerned and got a key. And when
they opened the doors, they found their master
dead on the floor.
26 While the servants were waiting, Ehud
escaped, passing the stone idols on his way to
Seirah. 27 When he arrived in the hill country of
Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he
led a band of Israelites down from the hills.
28 “Follow me,” he said, “for the Lord has
given you victory over Moab your enemy.” So
they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River
across from Moab, preventing anyone from
crossing.
29 They attacked the Moabites and killed
about 10,000 of their strongest and most ablebodied warriors. Not one of them escaped. 30 So
Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and
there was peace in the land for eighty years.
Shamgar Becomes Israel’s Judge
31 After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He once killed 600 Philistines with an ox
goad.
Deborah Becomes Israel’s Judge
After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did
evil in the Lord’s sight. 2 So the Lord turned
them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite
king. The commander of his army was Sisera,
who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim. 3 Sisera, who
had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the
Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of
Israel cried out to the Lord for help.
4 Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a
prophet who was judging Israel at that time.
5 She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of
Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for
judgment. 6 One day she sent for Barak son of
Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of
Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the
Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call
out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali
4
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and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. 7 And I will call out
Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with
his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon 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 Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the
hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 At Kedesh, Barak called together
the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000
warriors went up with him. Deborah also went
with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of
Moses’ brother-in-law* Hobab, had moved away
from the other members of his tribe and pitched
his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh.
12 When Sisera was told that Bar ak son of
Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 he
called for all 900 of his iron chariots and
all of his warriors, and they marched from
Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready!
This is the day the Lord will give you victory
over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of
you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down
the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle. 15 When
Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all
his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera
leaped down from his chariot and escaped on
foot. 16 Then Barak chased the chariots and the
enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim,
killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one
was left alive.
17 Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s
family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of
Hazor. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera 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 Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael 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 Sisera, Jael
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 Sisera lying
there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.
3:22 Or and it came out behind. 3:23 Or and went out through
the porch; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. 4:11 Or
father-in-law.