Old Testament · Judges 4:1–24Judges 5:1–3Judges 5:31
Deborah — Bible Story for Kids
Deborah was a prophet and a judge who led Israel. She called Barak to lead the army, and God gave Israel the victory.
This is a retelling for children, written by BibleKenya from the Bible passages shown on each picture. It is not a Bible translation.
A king named Jabin was treating God's people very badly. His army had many chariots.
The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight, and Jabin king of Canaan oppressed them for twenty years. The commander of his army was , who had nine hundred chariots of iron. The people cried out to the LORD.
was a wise leader. She sat under a palm tree, and people came to her to settle their problems.
, a , the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.
Bible explorer Deborah is the only judge in the book of Judges who is also called a prophet.
God gave a message for a man named : "Gather an army. God will give you the victory." Barak said, "I will go only if you go with me." Deborah said, "I will go."
sent for and said, "Hasn't the LORD commanded, 'Go and take ten thousand men to Mount Tabor'?" Barak said, "If you will go with me, I will go." Deborah said, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the honour will not be yours, for the LORD will sell into the hand of a woman."
said, "Go! Today God will give you the victory!" and his men went down the mountain, and God made 's army run away.
said to , "Go; for this is the day in which the LORD has delivered into your hand. Hasn't the LORD gone out before you?" Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men, and the LORD confused Sisera and all his chariots and army.
Bible explorer Judges 4:17-22 tells how Sisera ran away and was killed by a woman named Jael. Adults may want to read that part first.
and sang a song to praise God. Then the land had peace for forty years.
On that day and sang: "Hear, you kings! I will sing to the LORD." After this the land had rest for forty years.
Bible explorer Their song fills all of Judges 5.
The end of the story
Read it in the Bible
This is the Bible text itself, from the version shown. Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition
Judges 4:1–24 WEB
1The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, when Ehud was dead. 2The LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3The children of Israel cried to the LORD, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years. 4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time. 5She lived under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.’” 8Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9She said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the journey that you take won’t be for your honor; for the LORD will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him; and Deborah went up with him. 11Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh. 12They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon. 14Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t the LORD gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15The LORD confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet. 16But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left. 17However 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. 18Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” She opened a container of milk, and gave him a drink, and covered him. 20He said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’” 21Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died. 22Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples. 23So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel on that day. 24The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
Judges 5:1–3 WEB
1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, 2“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD! 3“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD. I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
Judges 5:31 WEB
31“So let all your enemies perish, LORD, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.
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Words to learn
What can we learn from this passage?
Deborah listened to God and helped Barak trust God's promise. The song afterwards gives the praise to God for the victory. Judges 4:14Judges 5:3