Judges · Chapter 4

[ edit] And þe ſones of Yrael addeden to doo yuel in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, after þe deeþ of Aod. And þe Lord took hem in to þe hoondis of Jabyn, kyng of Chanaan, þat regnede in Aſor, and hadde a duk of his ooſt, Siſeram bi name; and he dwellyd in Aroſeþ of Gentilis. And þe ſones of Yrael crieden to þe Lord; forſoþe he hadde nyne hundred chaaris, ful of wepenes, þe maner of ſiþis, and bi twenti ȝeer greetli he oppreſſide hem. Forſoþe Delbora was a propheteſſe, wijf of Laphidoþ, þat demyde þe puple in þat tyme; and ſhe ſat vndur þe palm tree, þe which bi name of hir was clepid, bitwix Rame and Beþel, in þe mount of Effraym; and þe ſones of Yrael ſtieden vp to hir into al doom.

Þe whiche ſente, and clepide Barach, þe ſone of Abynoen, of Cedes of Neptalym, and ſhe ſeide to hym, Þe Lord God of Yrael haþ comaundide to þee, Go, leed þe ooſt into þe hil of Thabor, and tak wiþ þee ten þouſand of fiȝtynge men of þe ſones of Neptalym and of þe ſones of Zabulon. Forſoþe I ſhal brynge to þee, in þe place of þe ſtreem of Cyſon, Siſaram, prince of þe ooſt of Jabyn, and þe chaaris of hym, and al þe multitude; and Y ſhal taak hem in þin hoond. And Barach ſeide to hyr, If þow comeſt wiþ me, Y ſhal goo; if þow wolt not come wiþ me, Y ſhal not goo.

Þe which ſeide to hym, Forſoþe Y ſhal goo wiþ þee; but in þis while victory ſhal not be witid to þee; for in þe hoond of a womman Siſara ſhal be taak. And ſo Delbora roos, and wente wiþ Barach in to Cedes. Þe which, clepid Zabulon and Nepþalym, ſtiede vp wiþ ten þouſand of fyȝtynge men, hauynge Delbora in his felawſhip. Forſoþe Aber Cynee wente a wey ſumtyme fro oþer Cynees his briþeren, þe ſones of Obbab, coſyn of Moyſes; and he ſtreiȝte tabernaclys vnto þe valey, þat is clepid Sennym, and was biſide Cedes. And it is told to Cyſare, þat Barach, þe ſone of Abynoem, hadde ſtied vp into þe hil of Thabor.

And he gedryd nyn hundryd chaaris, ful of wepenys, maner of ſiþis, and al þe ooſt fro Aroſeþ of gentilis to þe ſtreem of Cyſon. And Delbora ſeide to Barach, Riſe, þis is forſoþe þe day, in þe which þe Lord haþ taak Syſaram into þin hoondys; loo! he is þi leder. And ſo Barach deſcendide fro þe hil of Thabor, and ten þowſand of fiȝtynge men wiþ hym. And þe Lord feeryde Siſaram, and alle þe chaaris of hym, and al þe multytude, in þe mouþ of ſwerd, at þe ſiȝt of Barach, in ſo myche þat Siſara of þe chaar lepynge doun on his feet, fliȝ. And Barach purſuede þe fleynge chaaris and þe ooſt vnto þe ſee vnto Aroſeþ of Gentilis; and al þe multitude of enemyes fellen doun vnto þe deeþ.

Siſara forſoþe fleynge cam to þe tent of Jahel, wijf of Aber Cynei; forſoþe þere was pees bitwix Jabyn, þe kyng of Aſor, and þe hows of Aber Cynei. Jahel þanne goon out in to aȝen comynge of Siſare, ſeide to hym, Com into me, my lord; ne drede þow. Þe which goon into þe tabernacle of hyr, and couerd of hir wiþ a mantel, he ſeide to hir, Ȝif to me, Y biſeche, a litil of water, for Y þriſte myche. Þe which openyde a botel of mylk, and ȝaf to hym to drynk, and couerde hym. And Siſara ſeide to hir, Stoond before þe dore of þe tabernacle, and whanne þere comeþ eny man, aſkinge þee, and ſeiynge, Wheþer here is eny man? þou ſhalt anſwere, Noon is.

And ſo Jahel, þe wijf of Aber, took a neyl of þe tabernacle, takynge þere wiþ an hamer; and ſhe goon out priuelich, and wiþ ſilence putte vpon þe templis of his heed a neyl, and ſmyten wiþ an hamer piȝt doun into þe brayn vnto þe erþe; þe whych, felawſhipynge ſleep to deeþ, faylide, and died. And lo! Barach folwynge Siſaram cam; and Jahel, goon into aȝen comynge of hym, ſeide to hym, Com, and Y ſhal ſhewe to þee a man, whom þow ſechiſt. Þe whych, whanne he hadde goo in to hir, he ſawȝ Siſaram liggynge deed, and a neyl piȝt into his templis.

God þerfor lowide in þat day Jabyn, þe kyng of Chanaan, bifore þe ſones of Yrael; þe whiche woxen eche day, and wiþ ſtrong hoond beren doun Jabyn, þe kyng of Chanaan, to þe tyme þat þei hadden doo hym awey.