Judges 5
1 On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
Da no, Debora ne Abinoam babarima Barak too saa dwom yi:
2 “When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
“Israel mpanyimfo sɔre dii anim, na nnipa no de anigye dii wɔn akyi. Nhyira nka Awurade!
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.
“Mo ahemfo, muntie! Monyɛ aso, mo abirɛmpɔn! Na mɛto dwom ama Awurade. Mɛma me nne so ama Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn.
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.
“Awurade, bere a wufii Seir, na wobɔɔ nsra faa Edom mfuw so no, asase wosowee na ɔsoro omununkum tuee nsu.
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.
Awurade ba no maa mmepɔw wosowee. Sinai Bepɔw mpo wosowee wɔ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn anim.
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].
“Anat ba Samgar ne Yael bere so, nnipa amfa atempɔn so, na akwantufo faa anammɔnkwan kɔntɔnkye so.
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.
Nnipa kakra na wɔkaa Israel nkuraa kosii sɛ Debora sɔree sɛ ɛna maa Israel.
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.
Bere a Israel som anyame foforo no, ɔko sɔree kuropɔn no apon ano. Nanso wɔanhu nkatabo anaa peaw wɔ akofo mpem aduanan a wɔwɔ Israel mu!
9 I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
Mewɔ Israel ntuanofo afa ne wɔn a wɔde anigye dii wɔn akyi. Hyira Awurade!
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!
“Mo a motete afurum a wɔte apɔw so, tete nsaa a ɛyɛ fɛ so, muntie! Ne mo a ɛsɛ sɛ monantew fam nso, muntie!
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.
Muntie nkuraa nnwontofo a wɔaboa wɔn ho ano wɔ anomee. Wɔkeka Awurade trenee nkonimdi, ne ne nkuraasefo nkonimdi wɔ Israel ho asɛm. “Afei Awurade nkurɔfo bɔɔ nsra kɔɔ kuropɔn no apon ano.
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!’
‘Sɔre! Debora, sɔre! Sɔre, sɔre na to dwom! Sɔre, Barak! Di wo nneduafo anim kɔ, Abinoam ba!’
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.
“Nkaefo no bɔɔ nsra fi Tabor kɔɔ ahoɔdenfo so. Awurade nkurɔfo bɔɔ nsra kɔɔ akofo ahoɔdenfo so.
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.
Wofi Efraim bae, asase a na kan no na ɛyɛ Amalekfo dea, na Benyamin nso dii wʼakyi. Asahene no bɔɔ nsra fii Makir; ɔsahene pemakurafo fi Sebulon bae.
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.
Na Isakar mu atitiriw ka Debora ne Barak ho. Wodii Barak akyi, bɔ wuraa obon no mu. Nanso Ruben abusuakuw mu de, wɔansi wɔn adwene pi.
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.
Adɛn nti na wotenaa fie wɔ nguanhwɛfo mu, tie nguanhwɛfo a wɔde hwirema frɛ wɔn nguan? Ruben abusuakuw mu, wɔansi wɔn adwene pi.
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.
Gilead kaa Yordan apuei hɔ. Na Dan de, adɛn nti na ɔtenaa fie? Aser tenaa mpoano a wanka ne ho, ɔkaa nʼahyɛn gyinabea ahorow hɔ.
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.
Nanso Sebulon too ne nkwa apemafo sɛnea Naftali yɛɛ wɔ akono no.
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 ahemfo koo wɔ Taanak a ɛbɛn Megido asu ho, nanso wɔannya dwetɛ asade biara ankɔ.
20 [It was as though] the stars in the sky fought for us [and as though] those stars in their paths fought against Sisera.
Nsoromma fi soro koe. Nsoromma nam wɔn akwan so ko tiaa 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.
Asubɔnten Kison twee wɔn kɔe, tete asu, Kison. Me kra, fa akokoduru bɔ nsra kɔ wʼanim!
22 The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
Afei, apɔnkɔ no tɔte pempem fam, wɔde mmirikatɛntɛ, Sisera apɔnkɔ ahoɔdenfo no mmirikatɛntɛ.
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].’
‘Nnome nka Merosfo,’ Awurade bɔfo na ose. Ma nnome a ano yɛ den nka wɔn efisɛ wɔammɛboa Awurade, wɔammɛboa Awurade anko antia akofo ahoɔdenfo no.
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.
“Nhyira nka Yael, Heber a ofi Keni yere. Ne nhyira nsen mmea a wɔtete ntamadan mu nyinaa.
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 srɛɛ nsu, na Yael maa no nufusu. Kuruwa a ɛfata ahemfo no mu na ɔde nufusu ani srade brɛɛ no.
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.
Afei, ɔde ne nsa benkum yii ntamadan pɛe, na ɔde ne nsa nifa faa odwumfo asae. Ɔde bɔɔ Sisera, pɛtɛw ne ti. Ɔde pɛe no wɔɔ ne moma so, bɔɔ so kɔɔ ne tirim.
27 He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
Ɔmemee, ɔhwee ase; owui wɔ ne nan ase.
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 nena hwɛɛ mfɛnsere mu; ɔtɛw mfɛnsere mu hwɛɛ no kwan, ɔkae se, ‘Adɛn nti na ne teaseɛnam akyɛ ba yi? Adɛn nti na yɛnte teaseɛnam nhankare nnyigyei yi?’
29 One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
Ne mmea anyansafo no rema mmuae no, otii mu kaa saa nsɛm yi kyerɛɛ ne ho se:
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.’
‘Wɔrekyɛ asade a wonyae no, ɔbarima biara rennya ɔbea baako anaa baanu. Sisera rennya ntade a ɛyɛ fɛ na me nso merennya ntade a ekura ahosu ahorow na wɔanwen mu fɛfɛ?’
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!
“Awurade, ma wʼatamfo nyinaa nwu sɛ Sisera! Nanso ma wɔn a wɔdɔ wo no nkɔso sɛ owigyinae.” Afei, asomdwoe baa asase no so mfirihyia aduanan.
