< Judges 5 >

1 That day Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song:
Ɛda no, Debora ne Abinoam babarima Barak too saa dwom yi:
2 “Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise the Lord!
“Israel mpanimfoɔ sɔre dii animu, na nnipa no de anigyeɛ dii wɔn akyi. Nhyira nka Awurade!
3 Listen, kings! Pay attention, rulers! I, yes I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.
“Mo ahemfo, montie! Monyɛ aso, mo aberempɔn! Na mɛto dwom ama Awurade. Mɛma me nne so ama Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn.
4 Lord, when you set off from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, rain fell from the skies, the clouds poured down water.
“Awurade, ɛberɛ a wofirii Seir, na wobɔɔ nsra faa Edom mfuo so no, asase wosoeɛ na ɔsoro omununkum tuee nsuo.
5 The mountains melted in the presence of the Lord, the God of Sinai, in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
Awurade ba no maa mmepɔ wosoeɛ. Sinai Bepɔ mpo wosoeɛ wɔ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn anim.
6 In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, people didn't use the main highways and stayed on winding paths.
“Anat ba Samgar ne Yael berɛ so, nnipa amfa akwantempɔn so, na akwantufoɔ faa anammɔnkwan kɔntɔnkye so.
7 Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as a mother in Israel.
Nnipa kakra na wɔkaa Israel nkuraaseɛ kɔsii sɛ Debora sɔree sɛ ɛna maa Israel.
8 When the people chose new gods, then war arrived at their gates. Not even a shield or spear could be found among forty thousand warriors in Israel.
Ɛberɛ a Israel somm anyame foforɔ no, ɔko sɔree kuropɔn no apono ano. Nanso wɔanhunu kyɛm anaa pea wɔ akofoɔ ɔpeduanan a wɔwɔ Israel mu!
9 My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
Mewɔ Israel ntuanofoɔ afa ne wɔn a wɔde anigyeɛ dii wɔn akyi. Hyira Awurade!
10 You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
“Mo a motete afunumu a wɔte apɔ so, tete nsaa a ɛyɛ fɛ so, montie! Ne mo a ɛsɛ sɛ monante fam nso, montie!
11 what people are talking about as they gather at the watering holes. They describe the Lord's just acts and those of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went to the town gates.
Montie nkuraaseɛ nnwomsiaafoɔ a wɔaboa wɔn ho ano wɔ anomeeɛ. Wɔkeka Awurade tenenee nkonimdie, ne ne nkuraasefoɔ nkonimdie wɔ Israel ho asɛm. “Afei Awurade nkurɔfoɔ bɔɔ nsra kɔɔ kuropɔn no apono ano.
12 ‘Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners, son of Abinoam.’
‘Sɔre! Debora, sɔre! Sɔre, sɔre na to dwom! Sɔre, Barak! Di wo nneduafoɔ anim kɔ, Abinoam ba!’
13 The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
“Nkaeɛfoɔ no bɔɔ nsra firi Tabor kɔɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ so. Awurade nkurɔfoɔ bɔɔ nsra kɔɔ akofoɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ so.
14 Some came from Ephraim, a land that used to belong to the Amalekites; the tribe of Benjamin followed you with its men. Commanders came Makir; from Zebulun came those who carry a military officer's staff.
Wɔfiri Efraim baeɛ, asase a na kane no na ɛyɛ Amalekfoɔ dea, na Benyamin nso dii wʼakyi. Asahene no bɔɔ nsra firii Makir; ɔsahene pomakurafoɔ firi Sebulon baeɛ.
15 The leaders of Issachar supported Deborah and Barak; they raced into the valley following Barak. But the tribe of Reuben was very undecided.
Na Isakar mu atitire ka Debora ne Barak ho. Wɔdii Barak akyi, bɔ wuraa bɔnhwa no mu. Nanso, Ruben abusuakuo mu deɛ, wɔansi wɔn adwene pi.
16 Why did you stay at home in the sheepfolds, listening to shepherds whistling for their flocks? The tribe of Reuben really couldn't decide what to do.
Adɛn enti na wotenaa efie wɔ nnwanhwɛfoɔ mu, tie nnwanhwɛfoɔ a wɔde hwerɛma frɛ wɔn nnwan? Ruben abusuakuo mu, wɔansi wɔn adwene pi.
17 Gilead remained on the other side of Jordan. Dan stayed with his ships. Asher sat still on the seacoast, not moving from his ports.
Gilead kaa Yordan apueeɛ hɔ. Na Dan deɛ, adɛn enti na ɔtenaa fie? Aser tenaa mpoano a wanka ne ho, ɔkaa nʼahyɛn gyinabea ahodoɔ hɔ.
18 The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
Nanso, Sebulon too ne nkwa akyerɛ sɛdeɛ Naftali yɛɛ wɔ akono no.
19 Kings came and fought, the Canaanite kings fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo, but they didn't get any silver plunder.
“Kanaan ahemfo koeɛ wɔ Taanak a ɛbɛn Megido nsutire ho, nanso, wɔannya asadeɛ biara ankɔ.
20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
Nsoromma firi soro koeɛ. Nsoromma nam wɔn kyenenee so ko tiaa Sisera.
21 The Kishon River swept them away—the old river turned into a raging torrent! I bravely march on!
Asubɔnten Kison twee wɔn kɔeɛ, tete asuo, Kison. Me kra, fa akokoɔduru bɔ nsra kɔ wʼanim!
22 Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
Afei, apɔnkɔ no tɔte pempem fam, wɔde mmirikatɛntɛ, Sisera apɔnkɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ no mmirikatɛntɛ.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the Lord. ‘Totally curse those who live there, for they refused to come help the Lord, to help the Lord against the powerful enemies.’
‘Nnome nka Merosfoɔ,’ Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ na ɔseɛ. Ma nnome a ano yɛ den nka wɔn ɛfiri sɛ, wɔammɛboa Awurade, wɔammɛboa Awurade anko antia akofoɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ no.
24 Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite is to be praised the most among women. She deserves praise above all other women who live in tents.
“Nhyira nka Yael, Heber a ɔfiri Keni yere. Ne nhyira nsene mmaa a wɔtete ntomadan mu nyinaa.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
Sisera srɛɛ nsuo, na Yael maa no nufosuo; bonsua a ɛfata ahemfo no mu na ɔde nufosuo ani sradeɛ brɛɛ no.
26 With one hand she picked up the tent peg, and with her right hand she held a workman's hammer. She hit Sisera and smashed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
Afei, ɔde ne nsa benkum yii ntomadan pɛɛwa, na ɔde ne nsa nifa faa odwumfoɔ asaeɛ. Ɔde bɔɔ Sisera, pɛkyɛɛ ne ti. Ɔde pɛɛwa no wɔɔ ne moma so, bɔɔ so kɔɔ ne tirim.
27 At her feet he collapsed, he fell, he lay motionless. At her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell, his life plundered from him.
Ɔhodwoeɛ, ɔhwee ase; ɔwuu wɔ ne nan ase.
28 Sisera's mother looked out from the window. Through the latticed window she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot taking so long to come? Why is the sound of his chariot arriving so delayed?’
“Sisera nena hwɛɛ mpomma mu; ɔtɛɛ mpomma mu hwɛɛ no kwan, ɔkaa sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na ne teaseɛnam akyɛre ba yi? Adɛn enti na yɛnte teaseɛnam nhankra nnyegyeeɛ yi?’
29 The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to herself,
Ne mmaa anyansafoɔ no rema mmuaeɛ no, ɔtii mu kaa saa nsɛm yi kyerɛɛ ne ho sɛ:
30 ‘They're busy dividing up the plunder and assigning a girl or two for each man. There'll be colorful clothes for Sisera as plunder; beautifully embroidered colorful clothes as plunder; double-embroidered clothing reaching to the neck as plunder.’
‘Wɔrekyɛ asadeɛ a wɔnyaeɛ no, ɔbarima biara nya ɔbaa baako anaa mmienu. Sisera bɛnya ntadeɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ na me nso menya ntadeɛ a ɛkura ahosuo ahodoɔ na wɔanwono mu fɛɛfɛ.’
31 May all your enemies die like this, Lord, but may those who love you shine like the sun in all its brilliance!” The land was at peace for forty years.
“Awurade, ma wʼatamfoɔ nyinaa nwu sɛ Sisera! Nanso, ma wɔn a wɔdɔ wo no nkɔso sɛ owigyinaeɛ.” Afei, asomdwoeɛ baa asase no so mfirinhyia aduanan.

< Judges 5 >