The Defeat of Sisera

1 Deborah sent and called Barak and said to him, “Get up and brace yourself like a man, and go down and fight against Sisera; for I see the constellations greatly moved in their ranks and preparing to fight for you. I also see the lightnings, unmoving in their courses, setting out to stop the wheels of the chariots of those who boast in the might of Sisera, who says, ‘I will surely go down in the arm of my might to fight against Israel, and I will divide their spoil among my servants, and I will take their beautiful women for concubines.’ Therefore the Lord has spoken concerning him that the arm of a weak woman will overcome him, and young women will take his spoil, and he himself will fall into the hands of a woman.” 2 When Deborah and the people and Barak went down to meet their enemies, immediately the Lord disturbed the courses of his stars and said to them, “Hurry and go, for your enemies are falling upon you; confound their arms and break the strength of their hearts, for I have come so that my people may prevail. For though my people have sinned, yet I will have mercy on them.” When this was said, the stars went forth as they were commanded and burned up their enemies. And the number of those gathered and slain in one hour was very many thousands of men. But Sisera they did not destroy, for so it was commanded them. 3 When Sisera had fled on his horse to save his life, Jael the wife of Aber the Cinean adorned herself with her ornaments and came out to meet him; now the woman was very beautiful. When she saw him, she said, “Come in and take food and sleep, and in the evening I will send my servants with you, for I know you will remember me and reward me.” Sisera came in, and when he saw roses scattered on the bed, he said, “If I am delivered, O Jael, I will go to my mother, and you will be my wife.” 4 After this Sisera was thirsty and said to Jael, “Give me a little water, for I am faint and my soul burns because of the flame I saw in the stars.” Jael said to him, “Rest a little while, and then you will drink.” 5 When Sisera had fallen asleep, Jael went to the flock and milked milk from it. As she milked, she said, “Now remember, O Lord, when you divided every tribe and nation on the earth, did you not choose out Israel alone, and liken him to no beast except the ram that goes before the flock and leads it? See, then, how Sisera has thought in his heart, saying, ‘I will go and punish the flock of the Most Mighty.’ And now I will take some of the milk of the beasts to which you likened your people, and will go and give it to him to drink; and when he has drunk, he will become weak, and after that I will kill him. And this will be the sign you give me, O Lord: that while Sisera sleeps, when I go in, if he wakes and at once asks me, saying, ‘Give me water to drink,’ then I will know that my prayer has been heard.” 6 So Jael returned and went in, and Sisera woke and said to her, “Give me a drink, for I burn mightily and my soul is inflamed.” Jael took wine and mixed it with the milk and gave it to him to drink, and he drank and fell asleep. 7 But Jael took a stake in her left hand and drew near to him, saying, “If the Lord gives me this sign, I will know that Sisera will fall into my hands. I will throw him from the bed where he sleeps onto the ground, and if he does not notice it, I will know that he is handed over.” Jael took Sisera and pushed him from the bed onto the ground, but he did not notice, for he was exceedingly faint. Jael said, “Strengthen my arm this day, O Lord, for your sake and for your people’s sake, and for those who put their trust in you.”⁠a And Jael took the stake and set it on his temple and struck with the hammer. As he died, Sisera said to Jael, “Pain has come upon me, Jael, and I die like a woman.” Jael said to him, “Go boast before your father in hell, and tell him that you have fallen into the hands of a woman.” And she finished and killed him, and laid his body there until Barak should return. 8 Now the mother of Sisera was called Themech, and she sent to her friends, saying, “Come, let us go out together to meet my son, and you will see the daughters of the Hebrews whom my son will bring here to be his concubines.” 9 But Barak returned from pursuing Sisera, greatly distressed because he had not found him, and Jael came out to meet him and said, “Come, enter in, you who are blessed of God, and I will hand over to you your enemy whom you pursued and have not found.” Barak went in and found Sisera dead, and said, “Blessed be the Lord, who sent his spirit and said, ‘Into the hands of a woman Sisera will be delivered.’” And when he had said this, he cut off the head of Sisera and sent it to his mother, with a message, “Receive your son whom you expected to come with spoil.”