The Daily Audio Bible

4 And the sons of Israel added to do evil in the sight of the Lord, after the death of Ehud. (And the Israelites did more evil before the Lord, after the death of Ehud.)

² And the Lord betook them into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; and he had a duke of his host, Sisera by name; and he dwelled in Harosheth of heathen men. (And the Lord delivered them into the hands of Jabin, the king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and he had a leader of his army, who was named Sisera; and he lived in Harosheth of the heathen.)

³ And the sons of Israel cried to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, full of weapons, sharp as scythes, and twenty years he oppressed Israel greatly. (And the Israelites cried to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, full of weapons, sharp as scythes, and for twenty years he greatly oppressed Israel.)

⁴ And Deborah was a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, the which Deborah deemed the people of Israel in that time;

⁵ and she sat under a palm tree, that was called by her name, betwixt Ramah and Bethel, in the hill of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went up to her at each doom. (and she sat under a palm tree, that was named after her, between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites went up to her for judgements.)

⁶ And she sent, and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, of Kedesh of Naphtali, and she said to him, The Lord God of Israel commanded to thee, (and said,) Go thou, and lead an host into the hill of Tabor, and thou shalt take with thee ten thousand of fighters of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun. (And she sent, and called for Barak, the son of Abinoam, of Kedesh of Naphtali, and she said to him, The Lord God of Israel commanded to thee, and said, Go thou, and lead an army to Mount Tabor, and thou shalt take with thee ten thousand fighting men of the Naphtalites and of the Zebulunites.)

⁷ And I shall bring to thee, in the place of the strand of Kishon, Sisera, the prince of Jabin’s host, and his chariots, and all the multitude; and I shall betake them in thine hand. (And I shall bring to thee, at the Kishon River, Sisera, the leader of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and all the multitude; and I shall deliver them into thy hands.)

⁸ And Barak said to her, If thou comest with me, I shall go; if thou wilt not come with me, I shall not go.

⁹ And she said to him, Soothly I shall go with thee; but in this time the victory shall not be areckoned to thee; for Sisera shall be betaken into the hand of a woman (for Sisera shall be delivered into the hand of a woman). And so Deborah rose, and went with Barak into Kedesh.

¹⁰ And when Zebulun and Naphtali were called, Barak ascended with ten thousand of fighters (Barak went up with ten thousand fighting men), and had Deborah in his fellowship.

¹¹ Forsooth Heber of (the) Kenites had parted (company) some time (ago) from other Kenites his brethren, [the] sons of Hobab, the father of Moses’ wife; and he had set forth tabernacles till to the valley, which is called Zaanaim, and was beside Kedesh (and he pitched his tent in the Zaanaim Valley, which was beside Kedesh).

¹² And it was told to Sisera, that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up into the hill of Tabor. (And Sisera was told that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.)

¹³ And Sisera gathered nine hundred iron chariots, full of weapons, carving as scythes, and all the host, from Harosheth of heathen men to the strand of Kishon. (And Sisera gathered his nine hundred iron chariots, full of weapons, sharp as scythes, and all his army, from Harosheth of the heathen unto the Kishon River.)

¹⁴ And Deborah said to Barak, Rise thou up, for this is the day, in which the Lord hath betaken Sisera into thine hands; lo! the Lord is thy leader. And so Barak came down from the hill of Tabor, and ten thousand of fighters with him (And so Barak came down from Mount Tabor, and had ten thousand fighting men with him).

¹⁵ And the Lord made afeared Sisera, and all his chariots, and all the multitude, by the sharpness of sword, at the sight of Barak, in so much that Sisera leaped down off the chariot, and fled on foot. (And when they saw Barak, and all of his sharp swords, the Lord made Sisera, and all those in his chariots, and all those in his multitude, greatly afraid, in so much that Sisera leapt down off the chariot, and fled away on foot.)

¹⁶ And Barak pursued the chariots fleeing, and the host, till to Harosheth of heathen men (And Barak pursued the fleeing chariots, and the army, unto Harosheth of the heathen); and all the multitude of [the] enemies felled down till to death.

¹⁷ And Sisera fled, and came to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber (the) Kenite; for peace was betwixt Jabin, king of Hazor, and betwixt the house of Heber (the) Kenite (for there was peace between Jabin, the king of Hazor, and the house of Heber the Kenite).

¹⁸ Therefore Jael went out into the coming of Sisera, and said to him, My lord, enter thou to me, enter thou to me; dread thou not. And he entered into her tabernacle, and he was covered of her with a mantle (And he went into her tent, and she covered him with a cloak).

¹⁹ And he said to her, I beseech thee, give me a little water, for I thirst greatly (for I have a great thirst). And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave (it) to him to drink, and (then she) covered him (up again).

²⁰ And Sisera said to her, Stand thou before the door of the tabernacle, and when any man cometh, and asketh thee, and saith, Whether any man is here? thou shalt answer, No man is here. (And Sisera said to her, Stand thou before the door of the tent, and if anyone cometh, and asketh thee, and saith, Is there anyone here? thou shalt answer, No one is here.)

²¹ And so Jael, the wife of Heber, took a nail of the tabernacle, and she took also an hammer; and she entered privily, and with silence she put the nail upon the temple of his head, and she fastened the nail smitten with the hammer into his brain, unto the earth; and he slept, and died together, and he failed life, and was dead. (And then Jael, Heber’s wife, got a tent peg, and she also got a hammer; and she quietly entered, and silently put the peg on the temple of his head, and struck it with the hammer into his brain, and she fastened the other end of the peg into the ground; and so he died in his sleep, yea, his life failed, and he died.)

²² And lo! Barak (had) followed Sisera, and came (up to the tent); and Jael went out into his coming, and said to him, Come, and I shall show to thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he had entered to her, he saw Sisera lying dead, and a nail fastened into his temples (and a tent peg fastened into his temple).

²³ Therefore in that day (And so on that day), God made low Jabin, the king of Canaan, before the sons of Israel;

²⁴ which increased each day, and with strong hand they oppressed Jabin, the king of Canaan, till they did him away.

5 And Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang in that day, and said,

² Ye men of Israel, that have willfully offered your lives to peril (who have willingly offered your lives to peril), bless ye the Lord.

³ Ye kings, hear; ye princes, perceive with ears (ye princes, listen!); I am, I am the woman, that shall sing to the Lord; I shall sing to the Lord God of Israel.

⁴ Lord, when thou wentest out from Seir, and passedest by the countries of Edom (and passedest by the countryside of Edom), the earth was moved, and (the) heavens and (the) clouds dropped with waters;

⁵ (the) hills flowed from the face of the Lord, and Sinai from the face of the Lord God of Israel.

⁶ In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, [the] paths rested (the ways were empty), and they that entered by those (ways), went [away] by paths out of the way.

⁷ Strong men in Israel ceased, and rested, till Deborah (a)rose, a mother in Israel.

⁸ The Lord chose new battles, and he destroyed the gates of (their) enemies; shield and spear appeared not in forty thousand of Israel. (They chose new gods, and then there was war at the gates; but shields and spears did not appear among the forty thousand of Israel.)

⁹ Mine heart loveth the princes of Israel; ye that offered you(rselves) to peril by your own will, bless ye the Lord; (My heart loveth the leaders of Israel; ye who willingly offered yourselves to peril, bless ye the Lord;)

¹⁰ speak ye, that ascend on shining asses, and sit above in doom, and go in the way. (speak ye, who ride on shining donkeys, and sit in judgement, and go on the way.)

¹¹ Where the chariots were hurled down (al)together, and the host of [the] enemy’s was strangled, there the Lord’s rightwiseness be told out, and his mercy among the strong men of Israel; then the Lord’s people came down to the gates, and got the princehood. (Where the chariots were altogether hurled down, and the enemy’s army was strangled, there the Lord’s righteousness be told out, and his mercy among the strong men of Israel; then the Lord’s people came down to the gates, and got the victory.)

¹² Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou, and speak a song; rise thou, Barak, and thou, son of Abinoam, take thy prisoners. (Rise, rise thou, Deborah, rise thou up, and sing a song; rise thou up, Barak, thou son of Abinoam, and take thy prisoners.)

¹³ The remnants of the people be saved; the Lord fought against strong men of Ephraim. (The remnant of the people were saved; the Lord’s people fought against the strong men.)

¹⁴ He did away them into Amalek, and after him from Benjamin into thy peoples, thou Amalek. Princes of Machir and of Zebulun went down, that led the host to fight. (From out of Ephraim, they came into the valley, behind the tribe of Benjamin and its people. The leaders of Machir and of Zebulun went down, they who led the army to fight.)

¹⁵ The dukes of Issachar were with Deborah, and followed the steps of Barak, that gave himself to peril, as into a ditch headlong, and into hell (like headlong into a ditch, and down into hell). (Yea,) While Reuben was parted against himself; the strife of great hearted men was found.

¹⁶ Why dwellest thou betwixt twain ends (Why stayest thou by the stalls), (so) that thou (mayest) hear the hissings of (the) flocks? (Yea,) While Reuben was parted against himself, the strife of great hearted men was found.

¹⁷ Gilead rested beyond (the) Jordan, and Dan gave attention to ships. Asher dwelled in the brink of the sea, and dwelled in havens (Asher stayed by the seashore, and lived in safe coves).

¹⁸ And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to the death, in the country of Meromei, that is interpreted, high. (And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives unto the death, in the high places of the countryside.)

¹⁹ Kings came, and fought; kings of Canaan fought in Taanach, beside the waters of Megiddo; and nevertheless they took nothing by prey (but they took nothing of prey).

²⁰ From heaven, it was fought against them (They fought against them from the heavens); (the) stars dwelled in their order, and in their course, and they fought against Sisera.

²¹ The strand of Kishon drew (away) their dead bodies, the strand of Kedumim, the strand of Kishon. My soul, tread thou (down the) strong men. (The Kishon River drew away their dead bodies, yea, the ancient river, the Kishon River. My soul, tread thou forth with strength.)

²² The horsehoofs fell away, while the strongest of enemies fled with rush (while the strongest of the enemies fled away with haste), and (then) felled headlong.

²³ Curse ye the land of Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye the dwellers of him, for they came not to the help of the Lord, into the help of the strongest of him. (Curse ye the land of Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye its inhabitants, for they came not to the Lord’s help, nor to the help of his strongest men.)

²⁴ Blessed among women be Jael, the wife of Heber (the) Kenite; blessed be she in her tabernacle (blessed be she in her tent).

²⁵ To Sisera asking (for) water she gave milk, and in a basin of princes she gave him butter.

²⁶ She put the left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the smith’s hammer; and she smote Sisera, and sought in his head a place of wound, and she pierced strongly his temple. (Then she put a tent peg in her left hand, and the smith’s hammer in her right hand; and she sought a place on his head for the wound, and then she struck down Sisera, when she strongly pierced his temple.)

²⁷ He felled betwixt her feet, (and) he failed, and died; he was weltered before her feet, and he lay without life, and wretchedful.

²⁸ His mother beheld by a window, and yelled (out); and she spake from the solar, Why tarrieth his chariot to come again? Why tarry the feet of his four-horsed carts?

²⁹ One wiser than [the] other wives of him answered these words to the mother of her husband,

³⁰ In hap now he parteth spoils, and the fairest of women is chosen to him; clothes of diverse colours be given to Sisera into prey, and diverse array of household is gathered to adorn necks. (Perhaps now he parteth the spoils, and the fairest of the women be chosen for him; yea, clothes of diverse colours be given to Sisera for prey, and a diverse array of things be gathered to adorn the victor’s neck.)

³¹ Lord, all thine enemies perish so; soothly, they that love thee, shine so, as the sun shineth in his strength. And the land rested forty years. (Lord, may all thy enemies so perish; and may they who love thee, shine like the sun shineth in its strength. And then the land rested for forty years.)

³⁵ And he said to them, When I sent you without satchel, and scrip, and shoes, whether any thing failed to you? And they said, Nothing.

³⁶ Therefore he said to them, But now he that hath a satchel, take also and a scrip; and he that hath none [and he that hath not], sell his coat, and buy a sword.

³⁷ For I say to you, that yet it behooveth that thing [this thing] that is written to be fulfilled in me, And he is areckoned with wicked men; for those things that be of me have an end.

³⁸ And they said, Lord, lo! two swords here. And he said to them, It is enough.

³⁹ And he went out, and went after the custom into the hill of Olives [And he gone out, went by custom into the hill of Olives]; and the disciples followed him.

⁴⁰ And when he came to the place, he said to them, Pray ye, lest ye enter into temptation.

⁴¹ And he was taken away from them, as much as is a stone's cast; and he kneeled, and prayed,

⁴² and said [saying], Father, if thou wilt, do away this cup from me; nevertheless not my will be done, but thine [nevertheless not my will, but thine be done].

⁴³ And an angel appeared to him from heaven, and comforted him [comforting him].

⁴⁴ And he was made in agony, and prayed the longer [And he made in agony, either anguish, prayed longer]; and his sweat was made as drops of blood running down into the earth.

⁴⁵ And when he was risen from prayer [And when he had risen from prayer], and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for heaviness.

⁴⁶ And he said to them, What sleep ye? Rise ye, and pray ye [Rise ye, and pray], that ye enter not into temptation.

⁴⁷ Yet while he spake, lo! a company, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them; and he came [nigh] to Jesus, to kiss him.

⁴⁸ And Jesus said to him, Judas, betrayest thou man's Son with a kiss?

⁴⁹ And they that were about him, and saw that that was to come, said to him, Lord, whether we smite with sword?

⁵⁰ And one of them smote the servant of the prince of priests, and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus answered, and said, Suffer ye till hither. And when he had touched his ear, he healed him.

⁵² And Jesus said to them, that came to him, the princes of priests, and magistrates of the temple [and magistrates, or masters, of the temple], and elder men, As to a thief ye have gone out with swords and staves?

⁵³ When I was each day with you in the temple, ye stretched not out [the] hands into me; but this is your hour, and the power of darknesses.

94 God is Lord of vengeances; God of vengeance did freely. (God is the Lord of vengeance; O God of vengeance, show thyself!)

² Be thou enhanced that deemest the earth; yield thou (a) yielding to proud men. (Be thou raised up, who judgest the earth; and punish thou those, who be proud.)

³ Lord, how long sinners; how long shall sinners have glory? (Lord, how long shall the sinners, yea, how long shall the sinners have glory?)

⁴ They shall tell out, and shall speak wickedness; all men shall speak that work unrightfulness. (They boast, and they all speak wickedness; yea, all who work unrighteousness have glory in themselves.)

⁵ Lord, they have made low thy people; and they have dis-eased thine heritage. (Lord, they have beaten down thy people; and they have distressed thy inheritance.)

⁶ They killed a widow and a comeling; and they have slain fatherless children and motherless. (They have killed widows and newcomers, or strangers; and they have slain the fatherless and the motherless, or the orphans.)

⁷ And they said, The Lord shall not see (it); and, (The) God of Jacob shall not understand.

⁸ Ye unwise men in the people, understand; and, ye fools, learn sometime. (Understand this, ye ignorant among the people; and learn something, ye fools.)

⁹ Shall not he hear, that planted the ear; either beholdeth not he, that made the eye? (Shall he not hear, who formed the ear? shall he not see, who made the eye?)

¹⁰ Shall not he reprove, that chastiseth folks; (shall he not know,) which teacheth man knowing? (Shall he not rebuke, who chastiseth the nations? shall he not know, who teacheth the people knowledge?)

¹¹ The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men; that those be (in) vain. (The Lord knoweth, that the thoughts of the people be all in vain, that is, empty, and useless, or worthless.)

¹² Blessed is the man, whom thou, Lord, hast learned; and hast taught him of thy law. (Happy is the person whom thou, Lord, hast taught; yea, whom thou hast taught thy Law.)

¹³ That thou assuage him from evil days; till a ditch be digged to the sinner. (That thou assuage him from the evil days; until a ditch be dug for the sinners.)

¹⁴ For the Lord shall not put away his people; and he shall not forsake his heritage. (For the Lord shall not reject his people; and he shall not abandon his inheritance.)

¹⁵ Till rightfulness be turned (again) into doom; and who be nigh it, all that be of rightful heart. (For judgement shall return unto righteousness; and all who have an upright heart shall follow it.)

¹⁶ Who shall rise with me against mis-doers; either who shall stand with me against them that work wickedness? (Who shall rise up for me against the evil-doers? and who shall stand up for me against those who do evil?)

¹⁷ No but for the Lord helped me; almost my soul had dwelled in hell. (If the Lord had not helped me; soon I would have slept in Sheol, or in the land of the dead/soon I would have slept in the grave.)

¹⁸ If I said, My foot was stirred; Lord, thy mercy helped me. (But when I said, My foot is slipping! Lord, thy love held me up.)

¹⁹ After the multitude of my sorrows in mine heart; thy comforts made glad my soul. (And after a multitude of sorrows gathered together in my heart; once again thy comfort gladdened my soul.)

²⁰ Whether the seat of wickedness cleaveth to thee; that makest travail in commandment? (Shall the throne of wickedness cleave to thee; thou who makest trespass within the commandments?/thou who makest trespass by the commandments?)

²¹ They shall take (hold) against the soul of a just man; and they shall condemn innocent blood. (For they gather themselves together against the life of the righteous; and they condemn the innocent to death.)

²² And the Lord was made to me into refuge (But the Lord was made my refuge); and my God was made into the help of mine hope.

²³ And he shall yield to them the wickedness of them; and in the malice of them he shall lose them, our Lord God shall lose them. (And he shall punish them for their wickedness; he shall destroy them for their malice, yea, the Lord our God shall destroy them.)

³ The rod of pride is in the mouth of a fool; the lips of wise men keep them (but the lips of the wise keep them safe).

⁴ Where oxen be not, the cratch is void (the stall is empty); but where full many corns appear, there the strength of the ox is [made] open.