Judges:3-5

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* Now these are the nations which the LORD left , to prove Israel by them , even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan ; * Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know , to teach them war , at the least such as before knew nothing thereof ; * Namely , five lords of the Philistines , and all the Canaanites , and the Sidonians , and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon , from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath . * And they were 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 , Hittites , and Amorites , and Perizzites , and Hivites , and Jebusites : * And they took their daughters to be their wives , and gave their daughters to their sons , and served their gods . * And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD , and forgat the LORD their God , and served Baalim and the groves . * Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel , and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia : and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years . * And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD , the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel , who delivered them , even Othniel the son of Kenaz , Caleb 's younger brother . * And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him , and he judged Israel , and went out to war : and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand ; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim . * And the land had rest forty years . And Othniel the son of Kenaz died . * And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD : and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel , because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD . * And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek , and went and smote Israel , and possessed the city of palm trees . * So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years . * But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD , the LORD raised them up a deliverer , Ehud the son of Gera , a Benjamite , a man lefthanded : and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab . * But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges , of a cubit length ; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh . * And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab : and Eglon was a very fat man . * And when he had made an end to offer the present , he sent away the people that bare the present . * But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal , and said , I have a secret errand unto thee , O king : who said , Keep silence . And all that stood by him went out from him . * And Ehud came unto him ; and he was sitting in a summer parlour , which he had for himself alone . And Ehud said , I have a message from God unto thee . And he arose out of his seat . * And Ehud put forth his left hand , and took the dagger 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 , so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly ; and the dirt came out . * Then Ehud went forth through the porch , and shut the doors of the parlour upon him , and locked them . * When he was gone out , his servants came ; and when they saw that , behold , the doors of the parlour were locked , they said , Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber . * And they tarried till they were ashamed : and , behold , he opened not the doors of the parlour ; therefore they took a key , and opened them : and , behold , their lord was fallen down dead on the earth . * And Ehud escaped while they tarried , and passed beyond the quarries , and escaped unto Seirath . * And it came to pass , when he was come , that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim , and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount , and he before them . * And he said unto them , Follow after me : for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand . And they went down after him , and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab , and suffered not a man to pass over . * And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men , all lusty , and all men of valour ; and there escaped not a man . * So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel . And the land had rest fourscore years . * And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath , which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad : and he also delivered Israel . * And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD , when Ehud was dead . * 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 . * 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 . * And Deborah , a prophetess , the wife of Lapidoth , she judged Israel at that time . * 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 . * 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 ? * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * Now Heber the Kenite , which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses , had severed himself from the Kenites , and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim , which is by Kedesh . * And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor . * And Sisera gathered together all his chariots , even nine hundred chariots of iron , and all the people that were with him , from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon . * And Deborah said unto Barak , Up ; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand : is not the LORD gone out before thee ? So Barak went down from mount Tabor , and ten thousand men after him . * And the LORD discomfited Sisera , and all his chariots , and all his host , with the edge of the sword before Barak ; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot , and fled away on his feet . * But Barak pursued after the chariots , and after the host , unto Harosheth of the Gentiles : and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword ; and there was not a man left . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel . * 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 . * Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day , saying , * Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel , when the people willingly offered themselves . * Hear , O ye kings ; give ear , O ye princes ; I , even I , will sing unto the LORD ; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel . * LORD , when thou wentest out of Seir , when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom , the earth trembled , and the heavens dropped , the clouds also dropped water . * The mountains melted from before the LORD , even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel . * In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath , in the days of Jael , the highways were unoccupied , and the travellers walked through byways . * The inhabitants of the villages ceased , they ceased in Israel , until that I Deborah arose , that I arose a mother in Israel . * They chose new gods ; then was war in the gates : was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel ? * My heart is toward the governors of Israel , that offered themselves willingly among the people . Bless ye the LORD . * Speak , ye that ride on white asses , ye that sit in judgment , and walk by the way . * They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water , there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD , even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel : then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates . * Awake , awake , Deborah : awake , awake , utter a song : arise , Barak , and lead thy captivity captive , thou son of Abinoam . * Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people : the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty . * Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek ; after thee , Benjamin , among thy people ; out of Machir came down governors , and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer . * And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah ; even Issachar , and also Barak : he was sent on foot into the valley . For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart . * Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds , to hear the bleatings of the flocks ? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart . * Gilead abode beyond Jordan : and why did Dan remain in ships ? Asher continued on the sea shore , and abode in his breaches . * Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field . * The kings came and fought , then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo ; they took no gain of money . * They fought from heaven ; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera . * The river of Kishon swept them away , that ancient river , the river Kishon . O my soul , thou hast trodden down strength . * Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings , the pransings of their mighty ones . * 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 . * Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be , blessed shall she be above women in the tent . * He asked water , and she gave him milk ; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish . * She put her hand to the nail , and her right hand to the workmen 's hammer ; and with the hammer she smote Sisera , she smote off his head , when she had pierced and stricken through his temples . * At her feet he bowed , he fell , he lay down : at her feet he bowed , he fell : where he bowed , there he fell down dead . * The mother of Sisera looked out at a window , and cried through the lattice , Why is his chariot so long in coming ? why tarry the wheels of his chariots ? * Her wise ladies answered her , yea , she returned answer to herself , * Have they not sped ? have they not divided the prey ; to every man a damsel or two ; to Sisera a prey of divers colours , a prey of divers colours of needlework , of divers colours of needlework on both sides , meet for the necks of them that take the spoil ? * So let all thine enemies perish , O LORD : but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might . And the land had rest forty years . * And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD : and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years .

---