Jabin

1After Ehud died, the people of Israel did evil again. The LORD saw what they did.

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.

NoteEhud was a leader who helped Israel before this. His story is in chapter 3. In old Bibles, LORD in capital letters stands for God's own name.

2So the LORD handed them over to Jabin, a king in Canaan. He ruled in the city of Hazor. The leader of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth.

And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

NoteCanaan was the land where Israel lived. Some cities there still had their own kings. Hazor was a big city with strong walls. The old words say the LORD "sold" Israel. That means he let this king rule over them.

3The people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, which are strong war carts. For twenty years he treated Israel very harshly.

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.

NoteA chariot was a small cart with two wheels, pulled by fast horses. Soldiers rode in it and shot arrows. Iron parts made it strong. Israel had no chariots at all.

4She was the wife of Lapidoth. At that time she led Israel and settled their arguments.

And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

NoteA prophetess is a woman who tells people what God says. A judge in this book was a leader God chose. Judges helped their people and led them in battle. Deborah was a prophetess, someone who told people what God said.

5She sat under a palm tree called the Palm of Deborah. It stood between Ramah and Bethel, in the hills of Ephraim. The people of Israel came there to have her settle their problems.

And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

NotePeople came to Deborah when they argued with each other. She listened and said who was right. There were no courts or police then.

6Deborah sent for Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has given you an order. Go and march to Mount Tabor. Take ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun.

And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

NoteIsrael was made of twelve big family groups called tribes. Naphtali and Zebulun were two of them. Mount Tabor is a tall, round hill. You can see it from far away.

7"God says, 'I will bring Sisera to you at the Kishon River. He is the leader of Jabin's army. I will bring his chariots and all his soldiers there too. And I will hand him over to you.'"

And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

NoteThe Kishon is a river in a wide, flat valley. When heavy rain came, the ground there turned to thick mud.

8Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go. If you will not go with me, I will not go."

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

NoteBarak wanted Deborah to come because she told him God's words. Having her along meant he would know what God said next.

9Deborah said, "I will surely go with you. But you will get no honor from this trip. The LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

NoteHonor means the praise people give to the winner. Barak would win the fight, but someone else would get the praise.

10At Kedesh, Barak called for the men of Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah went with him.

And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

17But Sisera ran on foot to the tent of Jael. She was the wife of Heber the Kenite. King Jabin of Hazor and Heber's family were at peace with each other.

Howbeit 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.

NoteAt peace means two groups had promised not to fight each other. That is why Sisera thought Jael's tent was a safe place.

18Jael went out to meet Sisera. She said, "Come in, sir. Come in here with me. Do not be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.

Note"My lord" was a polite way to speak to an important man, like saying sir. The blanket was a thick cloak or rug.

19He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink. I am thirsty." She opened a leather bag of milk and gave him a drink. Then she covered him again.

And 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.

NotePeople had no glass bottles then. They carried water and milk in bags sewn from animal skin.

20He said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent. If anyone comes and asks you, 'Is there a man here?' say no."

Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

21Sisera was worn out and fell fast asleep. Then Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer. She walked to him quietly. She drove the peg through the side of his head and into the ground. So he died.

Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

NoteA tent peg is a sharp wooden stake. You hammer it into the ground to hold the tent ropes tight. Women usually put up the tents, so Jael knew how to use these tools. The temple is the soft place on the side of your head.

22Barak came by, still chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him. She said, "Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for." He went into her tent. There lay Sisera, dead, with the tent peg through his head.

And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

23That day God defeated Jabin, the king of Canaan, for the people of Israel.

So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

NoteThe old words say God "subdued" Jabin. Subdued means beaten and made weak.

24The people of Israel grew stronger and stronger against King Jabin. They kept on until Jabin, the king of Canaan, was destroyed.

And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

9Do to them what You did to Midian long ago. Do what You did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

NoteMidian, Sisera, and Jabin were enemies who attacked Israel long before this song. God helped Israel win those fights. The Kishon is a river in the north of Israel.

10Those enemies died at Endor. Their bodies lay on the ground like waste in a field.

Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

NoteEndor was a small town near that river. "Waste in a field" means animal droppings. Farmers spread them on the ground to help plants grow.

11Make their leaders end up like Oreb and Zeeb. Make all their rulers end up like Zebah and Zalmunna.

Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:

NoteOreb and Zeeb were two leaders of Midian's army. Zebah and Zalmunna were two of their kings. All four lost the fight against Israel.

12Those men said, "Let us take God's land and keep it for ourselves."

Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

NoteThe old words say "the houses of God." This means the grassy land where sheep ate, the land God gave to his people.