Judges 5
1 On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
Ɛda 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 mpanimfoɔ sɔre dii animu, na nnipa no de anigyeɛ 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, montie! Monyɛ aso, mo aberempɔn! Na mɛto dwom ama Awurade. Mɛma me nne so ama Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn.
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, ɛberɛ a wofirii Seir, na wobɔɔ nsra faa Edom mfuo so no, asase wosoeɛ na ɔsoro omununkum tuee nsuo.
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 mmepɔ wosoeɛ. Sinai Bepɔ mpo wosoeɛ wɔ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn 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 berɛ so, nnipa amfa akwantempɔn so, na akwantufoɔ 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 nkuraaseɛ kɔsii 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.
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 I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
Mewɔ Israel ntuanofoɔ afa ne wɔn a wɔde anigyeɛ 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 afunumu a wɔte apɔ so, tete nsaa a ɛyɛ fɛ so, montie! Ne mo a ɛsɛ sɛ monante fam nso, montie!
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.
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 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 nneduafoɔ 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.
“Nkaeɛfoɔ no bɔɔ nsra firi Tabor kɔɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ so. Awurade nkurɔfoɔ bɔɔ nsra kɔɔ akofoɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ 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.
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 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 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 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 enti na wotenaa efie wɔ nnwanhwɛfoɔ mu, tie nnwanhwɛfoɔ a wɔde hwerɛma frɛ wɔn nnwan? Ruben abusuakuo 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 apueeɛ hɔ. Na Dan deɛ, adɛn enti na ɔtenaa fie? Aser tenaa mpoano a wanka ne ho, ɔkaa nʼahyɛn gyinabea ahodoɔ 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 akyerɛ sɛdeɛ 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 koeɛ wɔ Taanak a ɛbɛn Megido nsutire ho, nanso, wɔannya asadeɛ 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 firi soro koeɛ. Nsoromma nam wɔn kyenenee 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 kɔeɛ, tete asuo, Kison. Me kra, fa akokoɔduru 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 ahoɔdenfoɔ 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 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 “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 ɔfiri Keni yere. Ne nhyira nsene mmaa a wɔtete ntomadan 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 nsuo, na Yael maa no nufosuo; bonsua a ɛfata ahemfo no mu na ɔde nufosuo ani sradeɛ 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 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 He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
Ɔhodwoeɛ, ɔhwee ase; ɔwuu 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 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 One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
Ne mmaa anyansafoɔ no rema mmuaeɛ no, ɔtii mu kaa saa nsɛm yi kyerɛɛ ne ho sɛ:
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 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 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 wʼatamfoɔ nyinaa nwu sɛ Sisera! Nanso, ma wɔn a wɔdɔ wo no nkɔso sɛ owigyinaeɛ.” Afei, asomdwoeɛ baa asase no so mfirinhyia aduanan.
