Judges 4:2-13

2So the Lord put them under the power of King Jabin. He was a Canaanite king who ruled in Hazor. The leader of Jabin's army was called Sisera. Sisera lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.

3He had 900 iron chariots for his army. He used his power to be cruel to the Israelites for 20 years. So they called out to the Lord for help.

4At that time, Lappidoth's wife Deborah was leading the Israelites. She was a prophetess.

5She would sit under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel to judge people's problems. That was in the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites would come to her when they had arguments. She would decide who was right.

6One day, Deborah told Abinoam's son Barak to come to her. He lived in Kedesh, a town in Naphtali. She said to Barak, ‘The Lord, Israel's God, has given you this command: “March to Mount Tabor with 10,000 men who belong to the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun.

7I will deceive Sisera, the leader of King Jabin's army. He will go to the Kishon river with his great army and all their chariots. I will put them all under your power.” ’

8Barak said to Deborah, ‘I will go if you will come with me. But if you do not agree to go, I will not go either.’

9Deborah said, ‘Yes, I will go with you. But you will not receive honour for the battle. Instead, the Lord will put Sisera under the power of a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.

10Barak told the men from Zebulun and Naphtali to go with him to Kedesh. 10,000 men came to follow him. Deborah also went with him.

11A certain Kenite man called Heber, did not live with the other Kenites. They were descendants of Hobab, the father of Moses' wife. Heber was living in a tent beside the big tree in Zaanannim, near Kedesh.

12Sisera heard news that Abinoam's son Barak had gone up to Mount Tabor.

13So he gave a command to all his soldiers. He told them to go with him from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon river. They had 900 iron chariots.