Crossing the Read Sea

Mark 4:26-32

A Community Silently Growing

26 Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? 31 It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, 32 but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 13

17 Since Pharaoh had to send the people out, God did not lead them via Philistia, because it was nearby, for God said, “The people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt.”

18 So God led the people via the desert road toward the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites were armed when they went up from Egypt.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had bound the sons of Israel by an oath that they should bind their descendants by an oath, saying, “God will surely remember you, and you must take up my bones from here with you.”

20 They moved on from Sukot and encamped at Etam, at the edge of the desert.

21 God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to guide them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel day and night.

22 He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 14

1 God spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that they must turn back and encamp before Pi HaChirot, between Migdol and the sea, before Ba’al Tzefon. You must encamp opposite it, facing the sea.

3 Pharaoh will say about the Israelites, ‘They are trapped in the land; the desert has closed in on them.’

4I will make Pharaoh stubborn and he will pursue them. I will then be glorified through Pharaoh and his entire army, and the Egyptians will finally recognize that I am God.” They did this.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his courtiers had a change of heart toward the people. They said, “What is this that we have done, sending Israel away from our service?”

6 Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and took his people with him.

7 He took 600 choice chariots, as well as the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in command of them all.

8 God made Pharaoh, king of Egypt, stubborn, and he pursued the Israelites. The Israelites were leaving triumphantly.

Ephesians 4:4-16

A Community of Oneness

4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 

one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
    he led a crowd of captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 14

9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s chariot horses, his horsemen, and his army—pursued them, overtaking them while they were encamped at the sea next to Pi HaChirot, before Ba’al Tzefon.

10 Pharaoh drew himself nearer. The Israelites looked up and caught sight of the Egyptians advancing at their rear. They became very frightened. The Israelites cried out to God.

11 They said to Moses, “Was it for want of graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the desert? What is this that you have done to us by taking us out of Egypt?

12 Is this not the very thing we spoke to you about in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

13 But Moses said to the people, “Have no fear. Stand firm and witness the deliverance that God will perform for you today, for the Egyptians whom you have seen today you will never see again.

14 God will do battle for you; you are to remain silent.”

Exodus 14:21-31

Saved through The Sea

21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

23 Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. 24 But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. 25 He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”

26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

29 But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. 30 That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 14

15 God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Speak to the Israelites and let them journey forth!

16 As for you, take up your staff and raise your arm over the sea and split it, and the Israelites will go into the midst of the sea on dry land.

17 And as for Me, I am going to make the Egyptians stubborn, so that they will go in after them. I will thus be glorified through Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots, and his horsemen.

18 The Egyptians will then finally know that I am God, when I am glorified through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 The angel of God who had been advancing in front of the Israelite camp moved, going behind it. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood at their rear.

20 It came between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp. Thus, there was cloud and darkness for the Egyptians, but the pillar of fire illuminated the night for the Israelites. Neither camp came near the other all through the night.

21 Moses raised his arm over the sea. God drove back the sea throughout the night with a powerful east wind and turned the sea into dry land, and the water split.

22 The Israelites went into the midst of the sea on dry land, and the water formed a wall for them on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen—came in pursuit after them into the midst of the sea.

24 During the morning watch, God looked down upon the camp of the Egyptians. With the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud, He threw the camp of the Egyptians into confusion.

25 He removed the wheels of their chariots, treating them heavily. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for God is fighting for them against Egypt!”

Romans 6:1-14

Baptized into a New Life

6 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 14

26 God said to Moses, “Raise your arm over the sea so that the water will revert to its normal state, covering the Egyptians, their chariots, and their horsemen.”

27 Moses raised his arm over the sea, and toward morning, the sea reverted to its normal state while the Egyptians were fleeing toward it. God churned the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 The water came back and covered over the chariots and horsemen of Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, the water forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

30 Thus, on that day, God rescued Israel from Egypt. Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore.

31 When Israel saw the mighty arm that God had exercised against the Egyptians, the people stood in awe of God; they believed in God and in His servant Moses.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 15

1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God. They said as follows: “I will sing to God for He is exalted beyond any other exalted being. He cast both horse and rider into the sea.

2 God’s might and retribution were my salvation. This is my God! I will build Him an Abode, the Temple. He is my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

3 God is the Master of war; God is His Name.

4 He hurled Pharaoh’s chariots and army into the sea; the elite of his officers were sunk into the Sea of Reeds.

5 The deep water covered them; they sank into the depths like a rock.

6 Your right hand, God, which is adorned with power; Your right hand, God, shatters the enemy.

7 In Your great majesty, You destroy those who rise up against You. You send forth Your fury; it consumes them like straw.

8 At the blast of Your nostrils the water piled up; the flowing streams stood erect like a wall; the deep water solidified in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy had said: ‘I will give chase; I will overtake; I will divide the spoils; my desire will be sated with them; I will unsheathe my sword; my hand will despoil them.’

10 But You blew with Your wind; the sea enveloped them; they sank in the mighty water like lead.

11 Who is like You among the mighty, God! Who is like You, resplendent in holiness, feared in praises, performer of wonders!

12 When You tilted Your right hand, the earth swallowed them up.

13 In Your loving-kindness, You will lead the people whom You redeemed; in Your strength, You will guide them to Your holy abode.

14 Nations will hear and become angered. Terror will grip those who dwell in Philistia.

15 At that time, the chieftains of Edom will become disoriented; trembling will seize the mighty men of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.

16 Dread and terror will fall upon them. They will remain still as stone in fear of the greatness of Your arm until Your nation passes over, God, until this nation whom You acquired passes over.

17 You will bring them and plant them around the mountain of Your inheritance, the place that You, God, have prepared for Your abode. May Your hands, God, establish this Sanctuary when

18 God will reign forever and ever.”

19 For the horses of Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, went into the sea, and God turned the water of the sea back on them while the Israelites had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

20 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took her timbrel in hand, and all the women followed her with timbrels and dancing.

21 Miriam led them in responsive song, beginning, “Sing to God for He is most exalted; horse and rider He cast into the sea.”

22 Moses made the Israelites set out from the Sea of Reeds. They went out into the Shur Desert. They walked for three days in the desert without finding any water.

23 They came to Marah, but they could not drink water from the stream at Marah, for the water was bitter; that was why it was named Marah [“bitter”].

24 The people complained against Moses, saying, “What should we drink?”

25 He cried out to God, and God showed him a tree; he threw a branch of it into the water and the water became sweet. It was there that God gave him a rule and an ordinance. There He tested them.

26 God said, “If you diligently heed the voice of God, your God, and do what is upright in His eyes—carefully listening to His commandments and observing all His rules, I will bring none of the illnesses that I brought upon Egypt upon you, for I am God who heals you.”

Exodus 16:13-16, 31

God Provides Bread in the Wilderness

13 That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. 14 When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. 15 The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.

And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat. 16 These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”

17 So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.

19 Then Moses told them, “Do not keep any of it until morning.” 20 But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them.

21 After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”

24 So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. 25 Moses said, “Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the Lord. There will be no food on the ground today. 26 You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day.”

27 Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. 28 The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? 29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” 30 So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day.

31 The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 15

27 They came to Eilim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms. They camped there, by the water.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 16

1 They moved on from Eilim. The entire community of the Israelites came to the Sin Desert, which is between Eilim and Sinai, on the 15th day of the second month after they had left Egypt.

2 The entire community of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert.

3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died at the hand of God in Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread! But you have taken us out to this desert, to starve this entire assembly to death!”

4 God said to Moses, “I am going to rain down bread for you from the sky. The people will go out and gather each day’s portion on that day. This way, I will test them as to whether or not they will follow My teaching.

5 On the sixth day, they must prepare what they bring in, and it will miraculously be twice as much as they gather each day.”

6 Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the late afternoon, you will recognize that it is God who took you out of Egypt.

7 In the morning, you will see the glory of God, which He will reveal to you despite having heard your complaints against God. For what are we, that you should incite others to complain against us?”

8 Moses said, “You will see the glory of God when God gives you meat to eat in the late afternoon and bread to satiety in the morning, despite God having heard your complaints that you incite others to complain against Him. For what are we? Your complaints are not against us, but against God!”

9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the entire community of the Israelites, ‘Draw near before God, for He has heard your complaints.’”

10 When Aaron spoke to the entire community of the Israelites and they turned toward the desert, they beheld the glory of God in a cloud.

John 6:28-40

Jesus Is the Bread of Life

28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 16

11 God then spoke to Moses, saying,

12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Speak to them and say, ‘In the late afternoon you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread to satiety, and then you will recognize that I am God, your God.’”

13 In the late afternoon, quails came up and covered the camp. In the morning, there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14 When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, over the surface of the desert, a thin substance that had been packed in the dew was exposed, as if the upper layer of dew had been peeled back. This substance had a thin crust on top and was as fine as the frost on the ground.

15 The Israelites saw the substance and said to each other, “It is a provision of food [man],” for they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “That is the bread that God has given you to eat.

16 This is what God has commanded: ‘Gather it according to what each man needs to eat: you must take an omer per head, according to the number of people each man has in his tent.’”

17 The Israelites did what Moses told them. They gathered it, but some took more and some less.

18 But when they measured it by the omer, they found that he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little was lacking nothing; each man had gathered as much as he needed to eat.

19 Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it over until morning.”

20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some people left some of it over until morning, and it became maggoty, after having first become putrid. Moses became angry with them.

21 They gathered it each morning, each man according to what he needed to eat, and when the sun grew hot, whatever remained would melt.

22 On the sixth day, they gathered a double portion of bread, two omers for each person. All the leaders of the community came and told Moses.

23 He said to them, “That is what God spoke about: tomorrow will be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath dedicated to God. Whatever you wish to bake, bake, and whatever you wish to cook, cook. Set aside for yourselves whatever is left over in safekeeping until morning.”

24 They set it aside until morning, as Moses had commanded, and it did not become putrid, nor was it infested with maggots.

25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath unto God. Today you will not find it in the field.

26 Six days you must gather it, on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 On the seventh day, some of the people did go out to gather, but they found nothing.

28 God told Moses, “How long will you refuse to observe My commandments and My teachings?

29 Look: God has given you the Sabbath, and that is why on the sixth day He gives you food for two days. Every man must remain where he is: no man may leave his place on the seventh day.”

30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The House of Israel called the food manna. It was like coriander seed, but was white, and it tasted like pastry fried in honey.

32 Moses said, “This is what God has commanded: ‘An omer-ful of it is to be preserved for safekeeping throughout your generations, so that they will see the bread that I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

33 Moses said to Aaron, “Take an urn and put in it an omer-ful of manna, and place it before God for safekeeping throughout your generations.”

34 As God had commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the Ark of Testimony for safekeeping.

35 The Israelites ate the manna for 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the edge of Canaan.

36 An omer is a tenth of an ephah.

Genesis 14:14-20

A Blessing with Bread and Wine

14 When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. 15 There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

Melchizedek Blesses Abram

17 After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.

20 

And blessed be God Most High,
    who has defeated your enemies for you.”

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 17

1 The entire community of the Israelites moved on from the Sin Desert, on their journeys, according to the word of God. They encamped at Refidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.

2 The people contended with Moses and said, “Give us water so that we may drink!” Moses answered them, “Why are you contending with me? Why are you testing God?”

3 The people thirsted there for water and the people complained against Moses, saying, “Why did you bring us up from Egypt, to make us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?”

4 Moses cried out to God, saying, “What should I do for this people? Before long they will stone me!”

5 God then said to Moses, “Pass in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand your staff, with which you struck the Nile River, and go.

6I will be standing before you there at the rock at Horeb. You must strike the rock, and water will flow out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 He gave the place the name Masah and Merivah [“testing and contention”], because of the people’s contentiousness and because they had tested God by saying, “Is God present among us or not?”

8 Amalek came and fought against Israel in Refidim.

9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out and fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself at the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

10 Joshua did as Moses had told him, to fight against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 Whenever Moses raised his arm, Israel prevailed. But whenever he lowered his arm, Amalek prevailed.

12 Moses’ hands became heavy. So they took a stone and placed it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on each side, and he remained with his hands steady until the sun set.

13 Joshua weakened Amalek and his people by the sword.

14 God said to Moses, “Write this down as a remembrance in the scroll. Explain clearly to Joshua that I wish to utterly erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.”

15 Moses built an altar and gave it a name that made people proclaim, “God is my Miracle.”

16 He said, “The hand of God is raised in oath on God’s throne to swear by it: God will remain at war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 17

14 God said to Moses, “Write this down as a remembrance in the scroll. Explain clearly to Joshua that I wish to utterly erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.”

15 Moses built an altar and gave it a name that made people proclaim, “God is my Miracle.”

16 He said, “The hand of God is raised in oath on God’s throne to swear by it: God will remain at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Shoftim (Judges) Chapter 4

4 Now Deborah was a woman prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth; she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she sat under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Beth-el, in the mountain of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali. And she said to him, "Indeed the Lord, God of Israel, commanded, 'Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun.

7 And I shall draw to you, to the brook Kishon, Sisera, the chieftain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will give him into your hand.' "

8 And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me then I shall go, but if you will not go with me, I shall not go."

9 And she said, "I shall surely go with you, but your glory will not be on the way which you go, for into the hand of a woman will the Lord deliver Sisera." And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak gathered Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand men went up at his feet; and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses; and he pitched his tent as far as Elon-bezaanannim, which is by Kedesh.

12 And they told Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.

13 And Sisera gathered all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth-goiim, to the brook Kishon.

14 And Deborah said to Barak, "Rise, for this is the day which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Did not the Lord go out before you?" And Barak went down from Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men after him.

15 And the Lord confused Sisera and all the chariots and all of the camp with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled on foot.

16 And Barak pursued the chariots and the camp, to Harosheth-goiim; and all of Sisera's camp fell by the edge of the sword, not even one was left.

17 And Sisera fled 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 house of Heber the Kenite.

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not." And he turned in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a garment.

19 And he said to her, "Give me now a little water to drink, for I am thirsty;" and she opened the flask of milk and gave him to drink, and covered him.

20 And he said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent; and it shall be, if any man comes and asks you and says, 'Is a man here?,' then you shall say, 'There is not.' "

21 And Jael, the wife of Heber, took the tent-pin, and placed the hammer in her hand, and came to him stealthily, and thrust the pin into his temple, and it pierced through into the ground; and he was in a deep sleep and weary; and he died.

22 And behold, Barak pursued Sisera, and Jael came out to meet him, and she said to him, "Come and I will show you the man whom you seek," and he came to her, and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the pin was in his temple.

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

24 And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed constantly harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.

Shoftim (Judges) Chapter 5

1 Now Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying.

2 "When breaches are made in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless the Lord.

3 Hear, O kings, give ear, O princes; I, to the Lord I shall sing, I shall sing to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4 Lord, when You went forth out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dripped; also the clouds dripped water.

5 The mountains melted at the presence of the Lord, this (was at) Sinai, because of the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, caravans ceased, and travellers walked on crooked paths.

7 The open cities ceased, in Israel they ceased, until I Deborah arose; I arose as a mother in Israel.

8 When they chose new gods, then there was war in the cities; was there seen a shield or a spear (when the) forty thousand (went against) Israel?

9 My heart is toward the lawgivers of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people, (saying,) 'Bless the Lord.'

10 The riders of white donkeys, those that sit in judgment, and those that walk on the path, tell of it.

11 Instead of the noise of adversaries, between the places of drawing water, there they will tell the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts of restoring open cities in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the cities.

12 Praise! Praise! Deborah. Praise! Praise! Utter a song. Arise Barak, and capture your captives, son of Abinoam.

13 Then ruled a remnant among the mighty of the nations; the Lord dominated the strong for me.

14 Out of Ephraim, whose root was against Amalek; after you (will be) Benjamin with your abaters; out of Machir came down officers, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the scribe.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, as was Issachar with Barak; into the valley they rushed forth with their feet. (But) among the divisions of Reuben, (there were) great resolves of heart.

16 Why do you sit between the borders, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben, (there are) great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abides beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why does he gather into the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the seas, and by his breaches he abides.

18 Zebulun is a people that jeopardized their lives to die, as did Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

20 From heaven they fought; the stars from their courses fought against Sisera.

21 The brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook Kishon; tread down, O my soul, (their) strength.

22 Then were pounded the heels of the horses by reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.

23 'Curse you Meroz,' said the messenger of the Lord, 'curse you bitterly (you) inhabitants thereof,' because they came not to the aid of the Lord, to the aid of the Lord against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women shall Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be; above women in the tent shall she be blessed.

25 Water he requested, (but) milk she gave him: in a lordly bowl she brought him cream.

26 She put forth her hand to the pin, and her right hand to strike the weary; she struck Sisera, pierced his head, and wounded and penetrated his temple.

27 At her feet he sank, fell, lay; at her feet he sank (and) fell; where he sank, there he fell down dead.

28 Through the window the mother of Sisera looked forth, and peered through the window; why is his chariot late in coming? Why tarry the strides of his chariots?

29 The wisest of her princesses answer her, she too returns answers to herself.

30 'Are they not finding (and) dividing the spoils? A damsel, two damsels to every man; a spoil of dyed garments to Sisera, a spoil of dyed garments of embroidery; dyed garments of embroidery for the neck of the spoiler.'

31 So may perish all Your enemies, O Lord; but they that love Him (should be) as the sun when he goes forth in his might." And the land rested forty years.