Judges 5
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
Ɛda no, Debora ne Abinoam babarima Barak too saa dwom yi:
2 “When the leaders take the lead in Israel, when the people gladly volunteer for war— we 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, I will sing to Yahweh; I will sing praises to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
“Mo ahemfo, montie! Monyɛ aso, mo aberempɔn! Na mɛto dwom ama Awurade. Mɛma me nne so ama Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn.
4 Yahweh, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from Edom, the earth shook, and the skies also trembled; also 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 quaked before the face of Yahweh; even Mount Sinai quaked before the face of Yahweh, 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, the main roads were abandoned, and those who walked only used the winding paths.
“Anat ba Samgar ne Yael berɛ so, nnipa amfa akwantempɔn so, na akwantufoɔ faa anammɔnkwan kɔntɔnkye so.
7 There were few rural people in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose—arose as a mother in Israel!
Nnipa kakra na wɔkaa Israel nkuraaseɛ kɔsii sɛ Debora sɔree sɛ ɛna maa Israel.
8 When they chose new gods, there was fighting at the city gates and yet there were no shields or spears seen among forty thousand 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 heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, along with the people who gladly volunteered— we bless Yahweh for them!
Mewɔ Israel ntuanofoɔ afa ne wɔn a wɔde anigyeɛ dii wɔn akyi. Hyira Awurade!
10 Think about this—you who ride on white donkeys sitting on rugs for saddles, and you who walk along the road.
“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 Hear the voices of those who sing at the watering places. There they tell again of Yahweh's righteous deeds, and the righteous actions of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the city 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 Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Get up, Barak, and capture your prisoners, you son of Abinoam.
‘Sɔre! Debora, sɔre! Sɔre, sɔre na to dwom! Sɔre, Barak! Di wo nneduafoɔ anim kɔ, Abinoam ba!’
13 Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of Yahweh came down to me with the warriors.
“Nkaeɛfoɔ no bɔɔ nsra firi Tabor kɔɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ so. Awurade nkurɔfoɔ bɔɔ nsra kɔɔ akofoɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ so.
14 They came from Ephraim, whose root is in Amalek; the people of Benjamin followed you. From Machir commanders came down, and from Zebulun those who carry an 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 My princes in Issachar were with Deborah; and Issachar was with Barak rushing after him into the valley under his command. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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 sit between the fireplaces, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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 stayed on the other side of the Jordan; and Dan, why did he wander about on ships? Asher remained on the coast and lived close to his harbors.
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 Zebulun was a tribe who would risk their lives to the point of death, and Naphtali, also, on the field of battle.
Nanso, Sebulon too ne nkwa akyerɛ sɛdeɛ Naftali yɛɛ wɔ akono no.
19 The kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. But they took away no silver as plunder.
“Kanaan ahemfo koeɛ wɔ Taanak a ɛbɛn Megido nsutire ho, nanso, wɔannya asadeɛ biara ankɔ.
20 From heaven the stars fought, from their paths across the heavens they fought against Sisera.
Nsoromma firi soro koeɛ. Nsoromma nam wɔn kyenenee so ko tiaa Sisera.
21 The Kishon River swept them away, that old river, the Kishon River. March on my soul, be strong!
Asubɔnten Kison twee wɔn kɔeɛ, tete asuo, Kison. Me kra, fa akokoɔduru bɔ nsra kɔ wʼanim!
22 Then came the sound of horses' hooves— galloping, the galloping of his mighty ones.
Afei, apɔnkɔ no tɔte pempem fam, wɔde mmirikatɛntɛ, Sisera apɔnkɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ no mmirikatɛntɛ.
23 'Curse Meroz!' says the angel of Yahweh. 'Surely curse its inhabitants!— because they did not come to help Yahweh— to help Yahweh in the battle against the mighty warriors.'
‘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 is blessed more than all other women, Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite), she is more blessed than all the women who live in tents.
“Nhyira nka Yael, Heber a ɔfiri Keni yere. Ne nhyira nsene mmaa a wɔtete ntomadan mu nyinaa.
25 The man asked for water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a dish fit for princes.
Sisera srɛɛ nsuo, na Yael maa no nufosuo; bonsua a ɛfata ahemfo no mu na ɔde nufosuo ani sradeɛ brɛɛ no.
26 She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; with the hammer she struck Sisera, she crushed his head. She smashed his skull into pieces when she pierced him through the side of 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 between her feet, he fell and he lay there. Between her feet he fell limp. The place he collapsed is where he was violently killed.
Ɔhodwoeɛ, ɔhwee ase; ɔwuu wɔ ne nan ase.
28 Out of a window she looked— the mother of Sisera looked through the lattice and she called out in sadness, 'Why has it taken his chariot so long to come? Why have the hoofbeats of the horses that pull his chariots been 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 Her wisest princesses replied, and she gave herself the same answer:
Ne mmaa anyansafoɔ no rema mmuaeɛ no, ɔtii mu kaa saa nsɛm yi kyerɛɛ ne ho sɛ:
30 'Have they not found and divided up the plunder? —A womb, two wombs for every man; the plunder of dyed fabric for Sisera, the plunder of dyed fabric embroidered, two pieces of dyed fabric embroidered for the necks of those who 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 So may all your enemies perish, Yahweh! But your friends be like the sun when it rises in its might.” Then the land had 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.
