Study Desk

All the people of that day died. The children who came after them did not know the Lord. They did not know about the things He had done for Israel.

When the Lord gave them special men to judge them, the Lord was with the judge. And He saved them from those who hated them. For the Lord showed them pity because of their pain when others made it hard for them and hurt them.

So the anger of the Lord was against Israel. He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. The people of Israel worked for Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

The land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

The people of Israel worked for Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

Ehud made a sword for himself with two sharp sides, almost as long as an arm. He tied it to the top part of his right leg, under his coat.

But he himself turned around at the stone gods of Gilgal and returned to Eglon, saying, "I have secret news for you, O king." Eglon said, "Keep quiet." And all who stood by him went away from him.

Ehud came to him while Eglon was sitting alone in his summer room. And Ehud said, "I have news from God for you." The king got up from his seat.

The whole sword went into his stomach and the fat closed over it. For he did not pull the sword out of his stomach. The insides of Eglon's stomach ran out.

He said to them, "Go after them. For the Lord has given into your hands the Moabites who hate you." So they went down after him. They took over the crossing places of the Jordan beside Moab. And they did not let anyone cross.

So Moab was crushed under the power of Israel that day. And the land had rest for eighty years.

The people of Israel cried to the Lord, for Jabin had 900 iron war-wagons. He made it very hard for the people of Israel for twenty years.

Now Lappidoth's wife Deborah, a woman who spoke for God, was judging Israel at that time.

She sent for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedeshnaphtali, and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Go to Mount Tabor. Take with you 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and Zebulun.

And she said, "For sure I will go with you. But the honor will not be yours as you go on your way. For the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman." Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Deborah said to Barak, "Get up! For this is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. See, the Lord has gone out before you." So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and 10,000 men followed him.

Sisera ran 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 family of Heber the Kenite.

He said to her, "Give me a little water to drink. For I am thirsty." So she opened a skin bag of milk and gave him a drink. Then she covered him.

As Barak came after Sisera, Jael came out to meet him. She said to him, "Come. I will show you the man you are looking for." So Barak went in with her, and he saw Sisera lying dead with the big tent nail in his head.

The people of Israel made it harder and harder for Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed him.