This was originally a minor assignment for an Old Testament class in my first year of college. I was inspired to post it on FFN after hearing of the tradition of the midrash - literally the rabbinic version of Bible fanfic!
Deborah is one of the characters that I remember thinking was really cool even as a little girl ("There's a lady judge, Mommy?") and long before I even began to consider feminism as a viable lens for looking at the Bible.
Note: the spelling of the names is taken directly from the CJB (Complete Jewish) translation of the Bible.
I own nothing. All rights belong to . . . God!
(Actually, whatever faithful scribes wrote down, copied, preserved, and translated the original biblical text. Bless 'em, every one.)
It was time for Adonai to deliver Isra'el from Yavin the king of Kena'an. I, D'vorah the chosen of Adonai, had seen it: beneath the palm tree Adonai showed it to me.
I had believed that Adonai needed a mighty warrior to command the army of Isra'el, and I sent for Barak ben Avino'am to lead that glorious battle. Yet Barak feared, and would not go to war without my presence. It might have seemed strange, that a mighty captain should request the presence of a woman for surety of victory, but I am D'vorah the chosen of Adonai. My lord Lapidot was loath to let me go to the war, but I pressed the matter with him, and in the end he said that he could not stand against Adonai's purpose.
But because Barak had indeed feared to lead Isra'el into battle without me, it was evident to me that the greatest glory, the slaying of Sisra the commander of the armies of Kena'an, was to be mine, a woman's. Therefore I rejoiced all the more, and sang battle-songs as we went up to Mount Tavor with the men of Naftali and Z'vulun. Then we saw that Sisra with the thousand iron chariots and footmen beyond count, and again Barak and the men of Isra'el began to fear and to murmur against Adonai's victory.
But Adonai's spirit came upon me in might, and I saw the vast armies of Kena'an as so many ants to be crushed; I cried to Barak that Adonai would go before us, and would give Sisra's armies into our hands. So we went forth into battle, and Kena'an's armies were thrown into a great confusion and fear. We pursued them all the way to Haroshet-HaGoyim, and watered the ground with their blood so that not one of them was left alive.
Nay - one, and one only escaped us that day. Sisra leaped down from his mighty chariot and fled swiftly away on foot. At first I was grieved, for it seemed that Adonai had left a part of the vision he had shown me unfulfilled. But Barak, who pursued Sisra in the direction of Kedesh, later returned with great news. It seemed that Hever the Keini, who lived near the great oak at Tza'ananim, had been friendly towards Yavin king of Kena'an, and Sisra had fled to Hever's tent in search of shelter. The wife of Hever, the beautiful Ya'el, had welcomed Sisra into the tent and driven a tent peg through his temple while he slept; it was from Ya'el that Barak had taken the body of Sisra.
When I heard this news, I rejoiced that Adonai had after all delivered the body of Sisra to us as he had shown me, and that Sisra had indeed met his death at the hands of a woman.