41 And the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah when Ehud is dead, 2 and Jehovah selleth them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who hath reigned in Hazor, and the head of his host 'is' Sisera, and he is dwelling in Harosheth of the Goyim; 3 and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, for he hath nine hundred chariots of iron, and he hath oppressed the sons of Israel mightily twenty years.
4 And Deborah, a woman inspired, wife of Lapidoth, she is judging Israel at that time, 5 and she is dwelling under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Beth-El, in the hill-country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel go up unto her for judgment. 6 And she sendeth and calleth for Barak son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh-Naphtali, and saith unto him, 'Hath not Jehovah, God of Israel, commanded? go, and thou hast drawn towards mount Tabor, and hast taken with thee ten thousand men, out of the sons of Naphtali, and out of the sons of Zebulun, 7 and I have drawn unto thee, unto the brook Kishon, Sisera, head of the host of Jabin, and his chariot, and his multitude, and have given him into thy hand.' 8 And Barak saith unto her, 'If thou dost go with me, then I have gone; and if thou dost not go with me, I do not go;' 9 and she saith, 'I do certainly go with thee; only, surely thy glory is not on the way which thou art going, for into the hand of a woman doth Jehovah sell Sisera;' and Deborah riseth and goeth with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak calleth Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he goeth up—at his feet 'are' ten thousand men—and Deborah goeth up with him. 11 And Heber the Kenite hath been separated from the Kenite, from the sons of Hobab father-in-law of Moses, and he stretcheth out his tent unto the oak in Zaanaim, which 'is' by Kedesh. 12 And they declare to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam hath gone up to mount Tabor, 13 and Sisera calleth all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who 'are' with him, from Harosheth of the Goyim, unto the brook Kishon. 14 And Deborah saith unto Barak, 'Rise, for this 'is' the day in which Jehovah hath given Sisera into thy hand; hath not Jehovah gone out before thee?' And Barak goeth down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15 And Jehovah destroyeth Sisera, and all the chariots, and all the camp, by the mouth of the sword, before Barak, and Sisera cometh down from off the chariot, and fleeth on his feet. 16 And Barak hath pursued after the chariots and after the camp, unto Harosheth of the Goyim, and all the camp of Sisera falleth by the mouth of the sword—there hath not been left even one.
17 And Sisera hath fled on his feet unto the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite, for peace 'is' between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite; 18 and Jael goeth out to meet Sisera, and saith unto him, 'Turn aside, my lord, turn aside unto me, fear not;' and he turneth aside unto her, into the tent, and she covereth him with a coverlet. 19 And he saith unto her, 'Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water, for I am thirsty;' and she openeth the bottle of milk, and giveth him to drink, and covereth him. 20 And he saith unto her, 'Stand at the opening of the tent, and it hath been, if any doth come in, and hath asked thee, and said, Is there a man here? that thou hast said, There is not.' 21 And Jael wife of Heber taketh the pin of the tent, and taketh the hammer in her hand, and goeth unto him gently, and striketh the pin into his temples, and it fasteneth in the earth—and he hath been fast asleep, and is weary—and he dieth. 22 And lo, Barak is pursuing Sisera, and Jael cometh out to meet him, and saith to him, 'Come, and I shew thee the man whom thou art seeking;' and he cometh in unto her, and lo, Sisera is fallen—dead, and the pin in his temples. 23 And God humbleth on that day Jabin king of Canaan before the sons of Israel, 24 and the hand of the sons of Israel goeth, going on and becoming hard on Jabin king of Canaan, till that they have cut off Jabin king of Canaan.
51 And Deborah singeth—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying:— 2 'For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah. 3 Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I—I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel. 4 Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water. 5 Hills flowed from the face of Jehovah, This one—Sinai—From the face of Jehovah, God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath—In the days of Jael—The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go 'in' crooked ways. 7 Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, Till that I arose—Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel. 8 He chooseth new gods, Then war 'is' at the gates! A shield is not seen—and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel. 9 My heart 'is' to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless ye Jehovah! 10 Riders on white asses—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate! 11 By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of Jehovah, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then ruled in the gates have the people of Jehovah.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam. 13 Then him who is left of the honourable ones He caused to rule the people of Jehovah, He caused me to rule among the mighty. 14 Out of Ephraim their root 'is' against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down lawgivers, And out of Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer. 15 And princes in Issachar 'are' with Deborah, Yea, Issachar 'is' right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great 'are' the decrees of heart! 16 Why hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great 'are' the searchings of heart! 17 Gilead beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Dan—why doth he sojourn 'in' ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle. 18 Zebulun 'is' a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also—on high places of the field. 19 Kings came—they fought; Then fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not! 20 From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera. 21 The brook Kishon swept them away, The brook most ancient—the brook Kishon. Thou dost tread down strength, O my soul! 22 Then broken were the horse-heels, By pransings—pransings of its mighty ones. 23 Curse Meroz—said a messenger of Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty!
24 Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed. 25 Water he asked—milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter. 26 Her hand to the pin she sendeth forth, And her right hand to the labourers' hammer, And she hammered Sisera—she smote his head, Yea, she smote, and it passed through his temple. 27 Between her feet he bowed—He fell, he lay down; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell—destroyed. 28 Through the window she hath looked out—Yea, she crieth out—the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Wherefore is his chariot delaying to come? Wherefore tarried have the steps of his chariot? 29 The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Yea, she returneth her sayings to herself: 30 Do they not find?—they apportion spoil, A female—two females—for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work—a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil! 31 So do all Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him 'are' As the going out of the sun in its might!' and the land resteth forty years.
61 And the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth them into the hand of Midian seven years, 2 and the hand of Midian is strong against Israel, from the presence of Midian have the sons of Israel made for themselves the flowings which 'are' in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. 3 And it hath been, if Israel hath sowed, that Midian hath come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east, yea, they have come up against him, 4 and encamp against them, and destroy the increase of the land till thine entering Gaza; and they leave no sustenance in Israel, either sheep, or ox, or ass; 5 for they and their cattle come up, with their tents; they come in as the fulness of the locust for multitude, and of them and of their cattle there is no number, and they come into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel is very weak from the presence of Midian, and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah.
7 And it cometh to pass when the sons of Israel have cried unto Jehovah, concerning Midian, 8 that Jehovah sendeth a man, a prophet, unto the sons of Israel, and he saith to them, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I—I have brought you up out of Egypt, and I bring you out from a house of servants, 9 and I deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all your oppressors, and I cast them out from your presence, and I give to you their land, 10 and I say to you, I 'am' Jehovah your God, ye do not fear the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling:—and ye have not hearkened to My voice.'
11 And the messenger of Jehovah cometh and sitteth under the oak which 'is' in Ophrah, which 'is' to Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and Gideon his son is beating out wheat in the wine-press, to remove 'it' from the presence of the Midianites; 12 and the messenger of Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith unto him, 'Jehovah 'is' with thee, O mighty one of valour.' 13 And Gideon saith unto him, 'O, my lord—and Jehovah is with us!—and why hath all this found us? and where 'are' all His wonders which our fathers recounted to us, saying, Hath not Jehovah brought us up out of Egypt? and now Jehovah hath left us, and doth give us into the hand of Midian.' 14 And Jehovah turneth unto him and saith, 'Go in this—thy power; and thou hast saved Israel out of the hand of Midian—have not I sent thee.' 15 And he saith unto him, 'O, my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief 'is' weak in Manasseh, and I the least in the house of my father.' 16 And Jehovah saith unto him, 'Because I am with thee—thou hast smitten the Midianites as one man.' 17 And he saith unto Him, 'If, I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, then Thou hast done for me a sign that Thou art speaking with me. 18 Move not, I pray Thee, from this, till my coming in unto Thee, and I have brought out my present, and put it before Thee;' and he saith, 'I—I do abide till thy return.' 19 And Gideon hath gone in, and prepareth a kid of the goats, and of an ephah of flour unleavened things; the flesh he hath put in a basket, and the broth he hath put in a pot, and he bringeth out unto Him, unto the place of the oak, and bringeth 'it' nigh. 20 And the messenger of God saith unto him, 'Take the flesh and the unleavened things, and place on this rock—and the broth pour out;' and he doth so. 21 And the messenger of Jehovah putteth forth the end of the staff which 'is' in His hand, and cometh against the flesh, and against the unleavened things, and the fire goeth up out of the rock and consumeth the flesh and the unleavened things—and the messenger of Jehovah hath gone from his eyes. 22 And Gideon seeth that He 'is' a messenger of Jehovah, and Gideon saith, 'Alas, Lord Jehovah! because that I have seen a messenger of Jehovah face to face!' 23 And Jehovah saith to him, 'Peace to thee; fear not; thou dost not die.' 24 And Gideon buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and calleth it Jehovah-Shalom, unto this day it 'is' yet in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.
25 And it cometh to pass, on that night, that Jehovah saith to him, 'Take the young ox which 'is' to thy father, and the second bullock of seven years, and thou hast thrown down the altar of Baal which 'is' to thy father, and the shrine which 'is' by it thou dost cut down, 26 and thou hast built an altar to Jehovah thy God on the top of this stronghold, by the arrangement, and hast taken the second bullock, and caused to ascend a burnt-offering with the wood of the shrine which thou cuttest down.' 27 And Gideon taketh ten men of his servants, and doth as Jehovah hath spoken unto him, and it cometh to pass, because he hath been afraid of the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do 'it' by day, that he doth 'it' by night. 28 And the men of the city rise early in the morning, and lo, broken down hath been the altar of Baal, and the shrine which is by it hath been cut down, and the second bullock hath been offered on the altar which is built. 29 And they say one to another, 'Who hath done this thing?' and they inquire and seek, and they say, 'Gideon son of Joash hath done this thing.' 30 And the men of the city say unto Joash, 'Bring out thy son, and he dieth, because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the shrine which 'is' by it.' 31 And Joash saith to all who have stood against him, 'Ye, do ye plead for Baal? ye—do ye save him? he who pleadeth for him is put to death during the morning; if he 'is' a god he himself doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.' 32 And he calleth him, on that day, Jerubbaal, saying, 'The Baal doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.'
33 And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east have been gathered together, and pass over, and encamp in the valley of Jezreel, 34 and the Spirit of Jehovah hath clothed Gideon, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and Abi-Ezer is called after him; 35 and messengers he hath sent into all Manasseh, and it also is called after him; and messengers he hath sent into Asher, and into Zebulun, and into Naphtali, and they come up to meet them. 36 And Gideon saith unto God, 'If Thou art Saviour of Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken, 37 lo, I am placing the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if dew is on the fleece alone, and on all the earth drought—then I have known that Thou dost save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken;' 38 and it is so, and he riseth early on the morrow, and presseth the fleece, and wringeth dew out of the fleece—the fulness of the bowl, of water. 39 And Gideon saith unto God, 'Let not Thine anger burn against me, and I speak only this time; let me try, I pray Thee, only this time with the fleece—let there be, I pray Thee, drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth let there be dew.' 40 And God doth so on that night, and there is drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth there hath been dew.
31 And he came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbaths, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, because his word was with authority.
33 And in the synagogue was a man, having a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a great voice, 34 saying, 'Away, what—to us and to thee, Jesus, O Nazarene? thou didst come to destroy us; I have known thee who thou art—the Holy One of God.' 35 And Jesus did rebuke him, saying, 'Be silenced, and come forth out of him;' and the demon having cast him into the midst, came forth from him, having hurt him nought; 36 and amazement came upon all, and they were speaking together, with one another, saying, 'What 'is' this word, that with authority and power he doth command the unclean spirits, and they come forth?' 37 and there was going forth a fame concerning him to every place of the region round about.
38 And having risen out of the synagogue, he entered into the house of Simon, and the mother-in-law of Simon was pressed with a great fever, and they did ask him about her, 39 and having stood over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her, and presently, having risen, she was ministering to them.
40 And at the setting of the sun, all, as many as had any ailing with manifold sicknesses, brought them unto him, and he on each one of them 'his' hands having put, did heal them. 41 And demons also were coming forth from many, crying out and saying—'Thou art the Christ, the Son of God;' and rebuking, he did not suffer them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ.
42 And day having come, having gone forth, he went on to a desert place, and the multitudes were seeking him, and they came unto him, and were staying him—not to go on from them, 43 and he said unto them—'Also to the other cities it behoveth me to proclaim good news of the reign of God, because for this I have been sent;' 44 and he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
(Read Luke 4:31-44)
Christ's preaching much affected the people; and a working power went with it to the consciences of men. These miracles showed Christ to be a controller and conqueror of Satan, a healer of diseases. Where Christ gives a new life, in recovery from sickness, it should be a new life, spent more than ever in his service, to his glory. Our business should be to spread abroad Christ's fame in every place, to beseech him in behalf of those diseased in body or mind, and to use our influence in bringing sinners to him, that his hands may be laid upon them for their healing. He cast the devils out of many who were possessed. We were not sent into this world to live to ourselves only, but to glorify God, and to do good in our generation. The people sought him, and came unto him. A desert is no desert, if we are with Christ there. He will continue with us, by his word and Spirit, and extend the same blessings to other nations, till, throughout the earth, the servants and worshippers of Satan are brought to acknowledge him as the Christ, the Son of God, and to find redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
