Deborah and Barak

After Ehud dies, Israel does evil again, and the LORD gives them over to Jabin of Canaan. Under Sisera's iron chariots they suffer long oppression and finally cry out for help.

A¹fter Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD. ²So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. ³Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, because Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

Deborah judges Israel and summons Barak with the LORD's command to gather troops at Mount Tabor. When Barak asks her to go with him, she agrees but says the honor over Sisera will go to a woman.

⁴Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment. ⁶She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun. ⁷And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’” ⁸Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ⁹“I will certainly go with you,” Deborah replied, “but the road you are taking will bring you no honor, because the LORD will be selling Sisera into the hand of a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh, ¹⁰where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

The narrative pauses to place Heber the Kenite near Kedesh, then returns to the campaign as Sisera hears of Barak's movement. He answers by gathering his chariots and troops at the River Kishon.

¹¹Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh. ¹²When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor, ¹³he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon.

Deborah tells Barak that the day of victory has come because the LORD has gone before him. Barak descends with his men, the LORD routs Sisera's forces, and Barak pursues until the army is wiped out.

¹⁴Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” ¹⁵So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. ¹⁶Then Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.