Judges 5
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
UDebora loBaraki indodana kaAbinowama basebehlabela ngalolosuku besithi:
2 “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
Ngenxa yokuphindisela kwezimpindiselo koIsrayeli, nxa abantu bezinikela ngokuzithandela, busisani iNkosi!
3 Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
Zwanini makhosi, libeke indlebe ziphathamandla, mina, mina ngizahlabela eNkosini, ngihubele iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
4 O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
Nkosi, ekuphumeni kwakho eSeyiri, ekunyatheleni kwakho usuka ensimini yeEdoma, umhlaba wazamazama, lamazulu athonta, lamayezi athontisa amanzi.
5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
Izintaba zageleza phambi kweNkosi, iSinayi le phambi kweNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
Ensukwini zikaShamigari indodana kaAnathi, ensukwini zikaJayeli, izindlela zaphela, lababehamba ezindledlaneni bahamba ngezindlela ezimazombazombe.
7 Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
Izakhamizi zemakhaya zaphela koIsrayeli, zaphela, ngaze ngasukuma mina Debora, ngasukuma, unina koIsrayeli.
8 When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
Wakhetha onkulunkulu abatsha, khona kwaba lempi emasangweni. Sabonwa yini isihlangu lomkhonto phakathi kwabazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane koIsrayeli?
9 My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
Inhliziyo yami ikubanikimithetho bakoIsrayeli, abazinikela ngokuzithandela phakathi kwabantu. Busisani iNkosi!
10 You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
Bagadi babobabhemi abamhlophe, bahlali besigcabha, labahambi endleleni, khulumani.
11 the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:
Elizwini labatshoki, phakathi kwezindawo zokukha amanzi, lapho bayalandisa ngemisebenzi elungileyo yeNkosi, imisebenzi elungileyo yezakhamizi zemakhaya zakoIsrayeli. Ngalesosikhathi abantu beNkosi behlela emasangweni.
12 ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
Vuka, vuka, Debora! Vuka, vuka, khuluma ingoma! Sukuma Baraki, uthumbe abathunjiweyo bakho, ndodana kaAbinowama.
13 Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
Khona yayenza insali yabusa phezu kwezinduna ebantwini; iNkosi yangenza ngabusa phezu kwabalamandla.
14 Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
Kuvela koEfrayimi impande yabo yayimelene loAmaleki; emva kwakho, Bhenjamini, phakathi kwabantu bakho; kuvela kuMakiri kwehla abanikumthetho, lakoZebuluni abadonsa ngentonga yombhali.
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
Leziphathamandla zakoIsakari zaziloDebora; lanjengoIsakari, waba njalo uBaraki; wathunjwa esigodini ngenyawo zakhe. Ekwehlukaneni kukaRubeni izinqumo zenhliziyo zazizinkulu.
16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
Wahlalelani phakathi kwezibaya ukuzwa umhlanga wokukhaliselwa izimvu? Izifunda zakoRubeni zaba lokuhlolwa okukhulu kwenhliziyo.
17 Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
UGileyadi wahlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani. LoDani wahlalelani emikhunjini? UAsheri wahlala ekhunjini lolwandle, wahlala ethekwini.
18 Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
UZebuluni uyisizwe esadela umphefumulo waso kwaze kwaba sekufeni, loNafithali, emiqolweni yensimu.
19 Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
Amakhosi afika alwa; khona amakhosi eKhanani alwa eThahanakhi ngasemanzini eMegido; kawathathanga impango yesiliva.
20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
Zisemazulwini zalwa, inkanyezi zisendleleni zazo zalwa loSisera.
21 The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
Isifula iKishoni sabakhukhula, isifula sendulo, isifula iKishoni. Mphefumulo wami, unyathela ngamandla!
22 Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
Khona atshaya phansi amasondo amabhiza, ngokumatha, ukumatha kwabalamandla bakhe.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
Qalekisani iMerozi, kutsho ingilosi yeNkosi, qalekisani ngokuqalekisa abakhileyo kuyo, ngoba kabezanga kuncedo lweNkosi, kuncedo lweNkosi, lamaqhawe.
24 Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
Uzabusiswa phezu kwabesifazana uJayeli umkaHeberi umKeni; ubusisiwe phezu kwabesifazana ethenteni.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
Wacela amanzi, wamnika uchago, waletha amasi ngomganu wobukhosi.
26 She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
Welulela isandla sakhe esikhonkwaneni, lesandla sakhe sokunene esandweni sezisebenzi, wamtshaya uSisera, wachoboza ikhanda lakhe, wahlaba wabhoboza inhlafuno yakhe.
27 At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
Phakathi laphakathi kwenyawo zakhe wakhothama wawa walala; phakathi laphakathi kwenyawo zakhe wakhothama wawa, lapho akhothamela khona, wawa lapho efile echithekile.
28 Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
Unina kaSisera walunguza ngewindi, wanqolonga ngeminxibo yewindi wathi: Kungani inqola yakhe iphuza ukuza? Kungani ephuzile amavili ezinqola zakhe?
29 Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
Izihlakaniphi zamakhosazana akhe zaphendula, yebo yena wazibuyisela impendulo yakhe wathi:
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil— a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
Kabatholanga yini bayaba impango, intombazana, amantombazana amabili kuleyo laleyondoda, impango yamalembu aconjiweyo kaSisera, impango yamalembu aconjiweyo afekethisiweyo ngenalithi, amalembu amabili aconjiweyo afekethisiweyo ngenalithi, awentamo zomphangi?
31 So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
Ngokunjalo kazibhubhe zonke izitha zakho, Nkosi. Kodwa abayithandayo kababe njengokuphuma kwelanga ngamandla alo. Lelizwe lathula iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
