Judges 4:17–23; Judges 5:24–30

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Judges 4:17–23

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. 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. 19 And he said to her, Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. So she opened ta skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 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. 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. 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.

23 uSo on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel.


Judges 5:24–30

24  Most blessed of women be aJael,

the wife of Heber the Kenite,

of tent-dwelling women most blessed.

25  bHe asked for water and she gave him milk;

she brought him curds in a noble’s bowl.

26  cShe sent her hand to the tent peg

and her right hand to the workmen’s mallet;

she struck Sisera;

she crushed his head;

she shattered and pierced his temple.

27  Between her feet

he sank, he fell, he lay still;

between her feet

he sank, he fell;

where he sank,

there he felldead.

28  dOut of the window she peered,

the mother of Sisera wailed through ethe lattice:

Why is his chariot so long in coming?

Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?

29  Her wisest princesses answer,

indeed, she answers herself,

30  Have they not found and fdivided the spoil?

A womb or two for every man;

spoil of dyed materials for Sisera,

spoil of dyed materials embroidered,

two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?