DEBORAH AND BARAK.



"AND the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead." 

On account of their wickedness, God let Jabin, king of Hazor, oppress them twenty years. He was so cruel to them that they cried unto God for help. And the Lord raised up Deborah, a woman of the tribe of Ephraim, to be a judge in Israel.

Now Deborah was a prophetess, and the Lord showed her what should come to pass, and what she should do. "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."

When the time had come to deliver Israel from the wicked king of Hazor, Deborah sent word to Barak, the son of Abinoam, to gather ten thousand men and go up to Mount Tabor; for the Lord had promised to bring Jabin's army unto this place, and deliver it into the hand of Barak. Barak refused to go unless Deborah would go with him. She consented to go, but told him plainly that the honor of the victory would not be given to him, but to a woman.

Then Barak gathered ten thousand men to Mount Tabor, and Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, came down with a great host, and nine hundred chariots of iron. Then Barak and his army came down from the mountain, and fought with Sisera; and Jabin's army was beaten, and fled before the children of Israel, and Barak pursued them until every man was slain.  Sisera leaped down from his chariot, and fled on foot to the tent of Heber the Kenite. Here he lay down to rest, and fell asleep. Then Jael, the wife of Heber, drove a nail through his head, and killed him. Thus the Lord delivered his people from the king of Hazor.