English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died.
1
The People of Israel kept right on doing evil in God's sight. With Ehud dead,
2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.
2
God sold them off to Jabin king of Canaan who ruled from Hazor. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was the commander of his army.
3 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had chariots of iron and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years.
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The People of Israel cried out to God because he had cruelly oppressed them with his nine hundred iron chariots for twenty years.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
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Deborah was a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth. She was judge over Israel at that time.
5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.
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She held court under Deborah's Palm between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. The People of Israel went to her in matters of justice.
6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun.
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She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "It has become clear that God, the God of Israel, commands you: Go to Mount Tabor and prepare for battle. Take ten companies of soldiers from Naphtali and Zebulun.
7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’? ”
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I'll take care of getting Sisera, the leader of Jabin's army, to the Kishon River with all his chariots and troops. And I'll make sure you win the battle."
8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go. ”
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Barak said, "If you go with me, I'll go. But if you don't go with me, I won't go."
9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. ” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
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She said, "Of course I'll go with you. But understand that with an attitude like that, there'll be no glory in it for you. God will use a woman's hand to take care of Sisera."
10 And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.
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Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together at Kedesh. Ten companies of men followed him. And Deborah was with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
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It happened that Heber the Kenite had parted company with the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' in-law. He was now living at Zaanannim Oak near Kedesh.
12 When Sisera was told that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
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They told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 Sisera called out all his chariots, chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.
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Sisera immediately called up all his chariots to the Kishon River - nine hundred iron chariots! - along with all his troops who were with him at Harosheth Haggoyim.
14 And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you? ” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.
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Deborah said to Barak, "Charge! This very day God has given you victory over Sisera. Isn't God marching before you?" Barak charged down the slopes of Mount Tabor, his ten companies following him.
15 And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot.
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God routed Sisera - all those chariots, all those troops! - before Barak. Sisera jumped out of his chariot and ran.
16 And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.
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Barak chased the chariots and troops all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera's entire fighting force was killed - not one man left.
17 But 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.
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Meanwhile Sisera, running for his life, headed for the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. Jabin king of Hazor and Heber the Kenite were on good terms with one another.
18 And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid. ” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
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Jael stepped out to meet Sisera and said, "Come in, sir. Stay here with me. Don't be afraid." So he went with her into her tent. She covered him with a blanket.
19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. ” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.
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He said to her, "Please, a little water. I'm thirsty." She opened a bottle of milk, gave him a drink, and then covered him up again.
20 And he said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here? ’ say, ‘No. ’”
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He then said, "Stand at the tent flap. If anyone comes by and asks you, 'Is there anyone here?' tell him, 'No, not a soul.'"
21 But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died.
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Then while he was fast asleep from exhaustion, Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg and hammer, tiptoed toward him, and drove the tent peg through his temple and all the way into the ground. He convulsed and died.
22 And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking. ” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.
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Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera. Jael went out to greet him. She said, "Come, I'll show you the man you're looking for." He went with her and there he was - Sisera, stretched out, dead, with a tent peg through his neck.
23 So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel.
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On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the People of Israel.
24 And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
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The People of Israel pressed harder and harder on Jabin king of Canaan until there was nothing left of him.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.