< Judges 5 >
1 On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
Debora kple Barak, Abinoam vi la, dzi ha sia tso woƒe dziɖuɖu wɔnuku la ŋuti.
2 “When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
“Mikafu Yehowa! Israel ƒe kplɔlawo dze ŋgɔ dzideƒotɔe. Ameawo kplɔ wo ɖo dzidzɔtɔe! Ɛ̃, mikafu Yehowa!
3 Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I will sing to Yahweh. With this song I will praise Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship.
“Miɖo to, mi fiawo kple fiaviwo, mele ha dzi ge tso Yehowa ŋu, tso Israel ƒe Mawu la ŋu.
4 O Yahweh, when you came from Seir, when you marched from that land [better known as] Edom, the earth shook, and rain poured down from the skies.
Esi nèkplɔ mí do goe tso Seir Heto Edom ƒe anyigba dzi la, anyigba dzo nyanyanya, dziƒo nu ʋu eye tsi dza.
5 The mountains shook when you came, just like Sinai Mountain shook when you appeared there, because you are Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship.
Ɛ̃, towo ʋuʋu, Sinai to la gɔ̃ hã ʋuʋu kpekpekpe le Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la ŋkume!
6 “When Shamgar was our leader and when Jael ruled us, [we were afraid to walk on] the main roads; instead, caravans of travelers walked on winding [less traveled] roads [to avoid being molested].
“Le Samgar, Anat ƒe vi kple Yael ƒe ɣeyiɣiawo me, asitsalawo mezɔa mɔ ma dzi o. Mɔzɔlawo wɔa axadzimɔ xaxɛ gɔdɔ̃ewo ŋu dɔ.
7 People left their small villages, [and moved into the walled cities] until I, Deborah, became their leader. [I became like] a mother to the Israeli people.
Israelviwo ƒe duwo zu aƒedo. Va se ɖe esime nye Debora mezu Israel dada.
8 When the Israeli people [abandoned Yahweh and] chose new gods, enemies attacked the gates of the cities, and then [they took away] the shields and spears from 40,000 Israeli soldiers. Not one shield or spear was left.
Esime Israel dze mawu bubuwo yome la, futɔwo ho aʋa ɖe wo ŋu. Míaƒe kplɔlawo mena akpoxɔnu alo akplɔ mí o womekpɔ aʋawɔnu aɖeke kura le Israelvi akpe blaene dome o!
9 I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
Metso aseye ŋutɔ ɖe Israel ƒe kplɔlawo ta, ame siwo tsɔ wo ɖokui na faa! Mikafu Yehowa!
10 “You wealthy people who ride on donkeys, sitting on nice padded saddles, and you people who just walk on the road, you all listen!
“Israelviwo katã, hotsuitɔwo kple ahetɔwo siaa, hotsuitɔ siwo doa tedzi ɣiwo ɖoa afɔ afɔɖodzinu xɔasiwo dzi kple ame dahe, afɔzɔlawo siaa, mikpe ta, miakafui.
11 Listen to the voices of the singers who gather at the places where [the animals drink] water. They tell about how Yahweh acted righteously when he enabled the Israeli warriors to conquer [their enemies]. “Yahweh’s people marched down to the gates of our city.
Hadzila siwo le kɔƒewo me, ƒoa ƒu ɖe kɔƒea ƒe vudo gbɔ dzia ha tso Yehowa ƒe dziɖuɖu ŋuti. Wodzia ha enuenu tso ale si Yehowa ɖe Israel kple aʋawɔla siwo nye agbledelawo ŋu! Yehowa ƒe amewo zɔ to agbo la me!
12 The people came to my house and shouted, ‘Deborah, wake up! Wake up and start singing!’ They also shouted, ‘Barak, son of Abinoam, get up, and capture our enemies!’
Oo, Debora, nyɔ eye nàdzi ha! Oo, Barak, tsi tsitre! Oo, Abinoam ƒe vi, kplɔ wò aʋaléleawo dzoe!
13 Later, some of the Israeli people came down [from Tabor Mountain] with us, their leaders. These men who belonged to Yahweh came with me to fight their strong enemies.
“Tete nuteƒewɔlawo va woƒe kplɔlawo gbɔ; Yehowa ƒe amewo va hena aʋawɔwɔ.
14 Some came from the tribe descended from Ephraim. They came from land that once belonged to the descendants of Amalek. And men from the tribe descended from Benjamin followed them. Troops from the group descended from Makir also came down, and officers from the tribe descended from Zebulun came down, carrying staffs.
Wotso Efraimnyigba dzi va balimea le Benyamin ƒe viwo megbe. Aʋakplɔlawo va tso Makir aʋalɔgonunɔlawo va tso Zebulon
15 Leaders from the tribes descended from Issachar joined Barak and me. They followed Barak, rushing down into the valley. But men from the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether or not to join us.
Isaka ƒe fiaviwo, Debora kple Barak, ɖiɖi ɖe balime la le Mawu ƒe ɖoɖo nu. Ke Ruben ƒe viwo ya meyi o.
16 Why did you men stay at your sheep pens, waiting to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks of sheep to come to the pens? Men in the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether they would join us to fight our enemies, or not.
Nu ka ta mietsi aƒe le miaƒe alẽkplɔlawo gbɔ be miaɖo to alẽkplɔlawo woanɔ woƒe dzewo kum? Mama ɖo Ruben ƒe viwo dome: ɖe woayia? Ɖe woagbe yiyia?
17 Similarly, the men living in the Gilead area stayed at home, east of the Jordan River. And the men from the tribe descended from Dan, why did they stay home? The tribe descended from Asher sat by the seashore. They stayed in their coves.
Nu ka ta Gilead ƒe viwo tsi Yɔdan godo Dan ƒe viwo tsi woƒe tɔdziʋuwo gbɔ? Nu ka ta Aser ƒe viwo drã ɖe ƒuta dzidzemetɔe le woƒe ʋudzeƒewo?
18 But men from the tribe descended from Zebulun risked (their lives/were ready to die fighting) on the battlefield, and men descended from Naphtali were ready to do that, also.
Ke Zebulon ƒe viwo kple Naftali ƒe viwo tsɔ wo ɖokui ke le aʋagbedzi.
19 “The kings of Canaan fought us at Taanach, near the springs in Megiddo [Valley]. [But since they did not defeat us], they did not carry away any silver or other treasures from the battle.
Kanaan fiawo wɔ aʋa le Taanak kple Megido vudowo gbɔ, ke womeɖu futɔwo dzi o.
20 [It was as though] the stars in the sky fought for us [and as though] those stars in their paths fought against Sisera.
Dziƒo ŋutɔ ƒe ɣletiviwo wɔ aʋa kple Sisera.
21 The Kishon River swept them away— that river that has been there for ages. I will tell myself to be brave and continue marching on.
Kison tɔsisi la ƒe tsi sisiwo kplɔ wo dzoe. Nye luʋɔ, yi ŋgɔ kple ŋusẽ!
22 The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
Se futɔwo ƒe sɔwo ƒe afɔzi ɖa! Kpɔ woƒe sɔwo ƒe duƒuƒu ɖa!
23 The angel sent by Yahweh said, ‘Curse the people of Meroz [town], because they did not come to help Yahweh to defeat the mighty warriors [of Canaan].’
Gblɔ be, ‘Miƒo fi de wo elabena womeva kpe ɖe Yehowa ŋu wɔ aʋa kple futɔwo o.’
24 “But God is very pleased with Jael, the wife of Heber from the Ken people-group. He is more pleased with her than with all the other women who live in tents.
“Woayra Yael, Heber, Kenitɔ la srɔ̃ woyrae wu nyɔnu siwo nɔa agbadɔ te.
25 Sisera asked for some water, but Jael gave him some milk. She brought him some yogurt/curds in a bowl that was suitable for kings.
Sisera bia tsii eye wòna nyinotsii eye wòtsɔ nyinotsi babla ɖe gagbɛ si dze bubumewo la me vɛ nɛ.
26 Then, [when he was asleep], she reached for a tent peg with her left hand, and she reached for a hammer with her right hand. She hit Sisera hard with it and crushed his head. She pounded the tent peg right through his head.
Edo eƒe asi ɖa tsɔ tsyoti eye wòtsɔ eƒe nuɖusi tsɔ dɔwɔlawo ƒe zu, edae ɖe Sisera dzi hegbã ta nɛ, eŋɔ eye wògbã eƒe glãƒu
27 He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
Sisera dze anyi ɖe Yael ƒe afɔ nu etsi afi si wòdze anyi ɖo. Emu, dze to ɖe eƒe afɔ nu, afi si wòmu ɖo la, afi mae wòdze anyi ɖo eye afi mae wòku ɖo.
28 “Sisera’s mother looked out from her window. She waited for him to return. She said, ‘Why is he taking so long to come home in his chariot? Why don’t I hear the sound of the wheels of his chariot?’
“Sisera dada nɔ fesre nu kpɔm tso fesrenuvɔ la megbe edo ɣli be, ‘Nu ka ta eƒe tasiaɖam meva ɖo kpɔ o? Nu ka ta míese tasiaɖam la ƒe afɔzi o?’
29 One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
Eƒe nyɔnu ɖeka si dze nunya wu wo katã la, ɖo eŋu nɛ, vavã, enɔ gbɔgblɔm na eɖokui ɣe sia ɣi be,
30 ‘Perhaps they are dividing up the things and the people they captured after the battle. Each soldier will get one or two women. Sisera will get some beautiful robes, and some beautiful embroidered robes for me.’
‘Ɖe menye afunyinu geɖe lɔm wole hele mamam nyɔnuvi ɖeka alo eve na ŋutsu ɖe sia ɖe, atsyɔ̃ɖowuwo na Sisera abe nuhaha ene, atsyɔ̃ɖowu siwo to wolɔ̃ nu ɖo, wolɔ̃ nu ɖe wo to nyuie be woadze kɔme nam eye esiawo katã nanye nuhaha oa?’
31 But [that is not what happened]! Yahweh, I hope that all your enemies will die as Sisera did! And I desire that all those who love you will be as strong as the sun when it rises!
“Oo, Yehowa, na wò futɔwo katã natsrɔ̃ nenema ke ame siwo lɔ̃a Yehowa ya la, na be woanɔ abe ɣe ene ne edze le eƒe ŋusẽ me!” Tete anyigba la kpɔ ŋutifafa ƒe blaene.