but we will serve Jehovah." And Joshua said unto the people, "Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." "Now therefore put away," said he, "the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto Jehovah, the God of Israel." And the people said unto Joshua, “Jehovah our God will we serve, and unto his voice will we hearken." So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Jehovah. And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it hath heard all the words of Jehovah which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God." So Joshua sent the people away, every man unto his inheritance.

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And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

[The new generation that sprang up after Joshua's death rejected Jehovah and began to worship the heathen gods of the neighboring peoples. In his anger Jehovah for a time permitted the Israelites to fall into the hands of their enemies, but finally, in answer to their prayers for forgiveness, he promised to raise up among them wise judges. Among the first of these was the prophetess Deborah, a woman of great courage and with extraordinary powers of leadership.]

XLV

DEBORAH THE PROPHETESS

(Judges iv: 4-24)

Now Deborah,1 a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, "Hath not Jehovah, the God of Israel, commanded, saying, 'Go and draw unto mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's 2 army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thy hand."" And Barak said unto her, "If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go." And she said, "I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding, the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

Now Heber the Kenite" had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the brotherin-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the cak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh.

1. "Bee."

2. King of Hazor.

3. The Kenites were a nomadic Midianitish people who originally dwelt in the Sinaitic peninsula. They were probably absorbed in the Israelites.

And they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles,1 unto the river Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak, "Up; for this is the day in which Jehovah hath delivered Sisera into thy hand; is not Jehovah gone out before thee?" So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And Jehovah discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left.

Howbeit 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. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not.” And he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. And he said unto her, “Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty." And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. And he said unto her, "Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, 'Is there any man here?' that thou shalt say, "No."" Then Jael, Heber's wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep

1. The Israelites called all people who did not worship their God (Jehovah) Gentiles, the meaning of which is "nations."

sleep; so he swooned and died. And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, "Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." And he came unto her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.

So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. And 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.

XLVI

THE SONG OF DEBORAH

(Judges v: 1-31)

Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

"For that the leaders took the lead in Israel,

For that the people offered themselves willingly,

Bless ye Jehovah.

Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes;

I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah ;

I will sing praise unto Jehovah, the God of Israel.
Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir,
When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped,
Yea, the clouds dropped water.

The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah,

Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,

In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied,

And the travellers walked through byways.

The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased,
Until that I Deborah arose,

That I arose a mother in Israel.
They chose new gods;

Then was war in the gates:

Was there a shield or spear seen

Among forty thousand in Israel?

My heart is toward the governors of Israel,
That offered themselves willingly among the people:

Bless ye Jehovah.

Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses,

Ye that sit on rich carpets,

And ye that walk by the way.

Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water,

There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah,
Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel.

Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.
Awake, awake, Deborah;

Awake, awake, utter a song:

Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.

Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people; Jehovah came down for me against the mighty.

Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples;

Out of Machir came down governors,

And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;

As was Issachar, so was Barak;

Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.

By the watercourses of Reuben

There were great resolves of heart.

Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?

At the watercourses of Reuben