Judges 4:1-10

After Ehud died, the Israelites returned to doing evil before the eyes of YAHWEH, so he surrendered them to King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled from Hazor. His army commander Sisera established his base in Harosheth of the Gentiles. Jabin had nine hundred chariots with iron-rimmed wheels, and he ruthlessly oppressed Israel for twenty years. Then the Israelites, with shattered hearts, cried out to YAHWEH for help. God raised up Deborah to lead Israel as a champion-deliverer. She was a prophetess and a fiery woman. She presided as Israel’s judge under the Palm of Deborah, a certain palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came to her for wise decisions. One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam from the city of Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “YAHWEH, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, deploy ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, and march to Mount Tabor. I will draw Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, to fight against you at the Kishon River. He will have his many chariots and soldiers, but I will give you victory over him.’ ” Barak replied, “I will go if you go with me, but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go either.” “Very well,” she answered. “I will go with you, but you will receive no glory in the victory because YAHWEH will hand over Sisera to a woman.” So Deborah set off for Kedesh with Barak. Barak summoned the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand warriors followed him and Deborah also.

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