come to the help of those that bordered on Sisera's kingdom, if only
all the Hebrews had stood together, they could easily have defended
themselves. But no one seemed to see this, or had faith enough to try
to accomplish anything in this way "until Deborah arose." One day
there came up through the sheepfolds of the Reubenites this remarkable
woman whose name was Deborah. "Come to the help of your brethren
across the river," she said, as she told her story. "Come to the help
of Jehovah, by helping his people."

At first the Reubenites seemed greatly moved by Deborah's words.
Certainly, they would come, whenever Deborah and her friends were
ready. So the brave woman was encouraged and went to other tribes, to
all of them one after another. But not everywhere was she successful.
Many said: "Why should we go up and help your people? Suppose Sisera
wins, he will come and punish us. We will stay here where we are
safe." Even the Reubenites, whose first resolves had been so brave,
changed their minds, and "stayed in their sheepfolds, listening to the
pipings of the flocks."

=The battle by the Kishon River.=--After many weeks of tramping,
however, Deborah was able to get a few of the tribes really organized.
Ephraim, Benjamin, Naphtali, Zebulun, Issachar, and some smaller clans
all promised to send troops and did send them. An army was gathered
under a captain named Barak. The Canaanites under Sisera came out to
fight them, and the battle took place on the flat fields of the Plain
of Esdraelon. It looked like a victory for Sisera. He had charioteers
as well as foot soldiers--troops of men in heavy war carts, from the
axles of which extended sharp blades like scythes.

But Deborah had called to her people in the name of Jehovah. And