Judges 4 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 And the children of Israel began againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord when Ehud was dead.
1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when Ehud was dead.
2 And the Lord sold them into the hande of Iabin King of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor, whose chiefe Captaine was called Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 Then the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lord: (for he had nine hundreth charets of yron, and twentie yeeres he had vexed the children of Israel very sore)
3 The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years.
4 And at that time Deborah a Prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israel.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.
5 And this Deborah dwelt vnder a palme tree, betweene Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel came vp to her for iudgement.
5 She lived under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 Then shee sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam out of Kadesh of Naphtali, and sayd vnto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Goe, and drawe towarde mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousande men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
6 She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I wil drawe vnto thee to the riuer Kishon Sisera, the captaine of Iabins armie with his charets, and his multitude, and wil deliuer him into thine hand.
7 I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.’”
8 And Barak sayd vnto her, If thou wilt go with me, I will go: but if thou wilt not goe with me, I will not go.
8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
9 Then shee answered, I will surely goe with thee, but this iourney that thou takest, shall not be for thine honour: for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.
9 She said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the journey that you take won’t be for your honor; for Yahweh will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went vp on his feete with ten thousand men, and Deborah went vp with him.
10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him; and Deborah went up with him.
11 (Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses, was departed from the Kenites, and pitched his tent vntill the playne of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh)
11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.
12 Then they shewed Sisera, that Barak the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to mout Tabor.
12 They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera called for all his charets, euen nine hundreth charets of yron, and all the people that were with him from Harosheth of the Gentiles, vnto the riuer Kishon.
13 Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.
14 Then Deborah sayd vnto Barak, Vp: for this is the day that the Lord hath deliuered Sisera into thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went downe from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
14 Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t Yahweh gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15 And the Lord destroyed Sisera and all his charets, and al his hoste with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera lighted downe off his charet, and fled away on his feete.
15 Yahweh confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet.
16 But Barak pursued after the charets, and after the hoste vnto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the hoste of Sisera fel vpon the edge of the sworde: there was not a man left.
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left.
17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feete to the tent of Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite: (for peace was betweene Iabin the king of Hazor, and betweene the house of Heber the Kenite)
17 However Sisera fled away on his feet 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 Iael went out to meete Sisera, and sayd vnto him, Turne in, my lord, turne in to me: feare not. And when he had turned in vnto her into her tent, she couered him with a mantell.
18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
19 And he said vnto her, Giue me, I pray thee, a litle water to drinke: for I am thirstie. And shee opened a bottel of milke, and gaue him drinke, and couered him.
19 He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” She opened a container of milk, and gave him a drink, and covered him.
20 Againe he sayde vnto her, Stande in the doore of the tent, and when any man doth come and enquire of thee, saying, Is any man there? thou shalt say, Nay.
20 He said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’”
21 Then Iael Hebers wife tooke a nayle of the tent, and tooke an hammer in her hande, and went softly vnto him, and smote the nayle into his temples, and fastened it into the grounde, (for he was fast a sleepe and weary) and so he dyed.
21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died.
22 And behold, as Barak pursued after Sisera, Iael came out to meete him, and sayd vnto him, Come, and I wil shewe thee the man, whome thou seekest: and when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nayle in his temples.
22 Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples.
23 So God brought downe Iabin the King of Canaan that day before the children of Israel.
23 So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel on that day.
24 And the hande of the children of Israel prospered, and preuailed against Iabin the King of Canaan, vntill they had destroyed Iabin King of Canaan.
24 The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abinoam
Named as the father of Barak of Kedesh in Naphtali.
Cited in the guide: Judges 4:6; Judges 4:12; Judges 5:1
Barak
Son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali whom Deborah summoned to lead ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun against Sisera, and who sang Deborah's song with her.
Cited in the guide: Judges 4:6; Judges 4:14; Judges 5:1
Deborah
Prophetess and wife of Lappidoth who judged Israel from under the Palm of Deborah in the hill country of Ephraim, summoned Barak to fight Sisera, and sang the victory song with…
Cited in the guide: Judges 4:4; Judges 4:9; Judges 5:1
Heber
Kenite who had separated from the descendants of Hobab, pitched his tent near Kedesh, and was at peace with Jabin king of Hazor, and whose wife Jael killed Sisera.
Cited in the guide: Judges 4:11; Judges 4:17; Judges 5:24
Hobab
The son of Moses' father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, whom Moses urged to guide Israel through the wilderness and who answered that he would return to his own land and people.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 10:29–30; Judges 4:11
Lappidoth
Named only as the husband of the prophetess and judge Deborah.
Cited in the guide: Judges 4:4
Sisera
Commander of Jabin's forces, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim, was routed by Barak at the Kishon, and was killed by Jael with a tent peg.
Cited in the guide: Judges 4:2; Judges 4:15; Judges 4:21
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Jeremiah 5:3; Leviticus 26:23–25; Judges 3:12; Judges 10:6; Psalm 106:43–45
- 2 Judges 4:13; Joshua 11:1; Judges 4:16; Psalm 83:9; 1 Samuel 12:9
- 3 Judges 1:19; Psalm 106:42; Judges 3:9; Judges 5:8; Judges 10:16
- 4 Exodus 15:20; 2 Kings 22:14; Galatians 3:28; Luke 2:36; Joel 2:28–29
- 5 Exodus 18:19; 1 Samuel 1:1; Joshua 18:25; Deuteronomy 17:8–12; Joshua 16:2
- 6 Acts 13:47; Judges 8:18; Hebrews 11:32; Joshua 19:32; Joshua 19:37
- 7 Psalm 83:9–10; Ezekiel 38:10–16; 1 Kings 18:40; Judges 5:21; Joel 3:11–14
- 8 Exodus 4:10–14; Matthew 14:30–31
- 9 1 Samuel 2:30; Judges 5:24–27; Judges 9:54; Judges 2:14; 2 Samuel 20:21–22
- 10 Judges 5:18; Judges 5:15; 1 Samuel 25:27; Exodus 11:8; Judges 4:14
- 11 Numbers 10:29; Joshua 19:33; Judges 1:16; Joshua 19:37; Exodus 3:1
- 12 Psalm 89:12; Joshua 19:34; Joshua 19:12; Jeremiah 46:18; Judges 4:6
- 13 Judges 4:2–3; Judges 4:7
- 14 2 Samuel 5:24; Deuteronomy 9:3; Isaiah 52:12; Psalm 68:7–8; Micah 2:13
- 15 Joshua 10:10; Psalm 83:9–10; 2 Chronicles 13:15–17; Hebrews 11:32; Judges 5:20–21
- 16 Romans 2:12; James 2:13; Leviticus 26:7–8; Isaiah 43:17; Joshua 10:19–20
- 17 Isaiah 57:21; Psalm 37:35–36; Psalm 69:22; Job 12:19–21; Job 18:7–12
- 18 2 Kings 6:19
- 19 Judges 5:25–26; John 4:7; Genesis 24:43; 1 Kings 17:10; Isaiah 41:17
- 20 Joshua 2:3–5; 2 Samuel 17:20
- 21 Psalm 3:7; Judges 5:26–27; 1 Corinthians 1:27; Judges 3:21; 1 Corinthians 1:19
- 22 2 Samuel 17:3; 2 Samuel 17:10–15
- 23 Psalm 18:47; Nehemiah 9:24; Psalm 18:39; 1 Chronicles 22:18; 1 Corinthians 15:28
- 24 1 Samuel 3:12
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences