Balam 4
1 Ekudi bwe yamala okufa Abayisirayiri ne bakola nate ebibi eri Mukama.
After Ehud died, the Israelis again started doing things Yahweh said were very evil.
2 Mukama n’abawaayo mu mikono gya Yabini Kabaka wa Kanani, eyabeeranga e Kazoli; omuduumizi w’eggye lye nga ye Sisera eyabeeranga e Kalosesi eky’abamawanga.
So he allowed the army of Jabin, one of the kings of Canaan land, who ruled in Hazor [city], to conquer the Israelis. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-Haggoyim.
3 Yabini yalina amagaali ag’ekyuma lwenda, era n’ajoogera Abayisirayiri emyaka amakumi abiri, kyebaava balaajaanira Mukama abayambe.
Sisera’s [army] had 900 chariots. For 20 years he oppressed the Israelis. Then they pleaded to Yahweh to help them.
4 Awo Nnabbi Debola mukazi wa Leppidosi ye yali akulembera Abayisirayiri mu kiseera ekyo.
At that time Deborah, who was the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophetess who had become the leader in Israel.
5 Era bulijjo yatuulanga wansi w’olukindu olwayitibwanga olwa Debola wakati w’e Lama ne Beseri mu kitundu kya Efulayimu eky’ensozi: Abayisirayiri ne bajjanga gyali okubalamula.
She would sit under her palm tree at a place between Ramah and Bethel, in the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim lived, and people would come to her and ask her to settle disputes between them.
6 N’atumya Baraki mutabani wa Abinoamu ave mu Kedesi ekitundu kya Nafutaali, n’amugamba nti, “Mukama Katonda w’Abayisirayiri akulagidde nti, ‘Ggenda okuŋŋaanyize abasajja bo ku lusozi Taboli, obalondemu omutwalo gumu okuva mu kika ekya Nafutaali n’ekya Zebbulooni.
One day she summoned Barak, the son of Abinoam, when he was in Kedesh, in the area where the descendants of Naphtali lived. She said to him, “This is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, is commanding you to do: ‘Take with you 1,000 men, some from the descendants of Naphtali and some from the descendants of Zebulun, and lead them to Tabor Mountain.
7 Ndisindika gy’oli ku mugga Kisoni, Sisera omuduumizi w’eggye lya Yabini, n’amagaali ge n’abalwanyi be era ndibawaayo mu mikono gyo.’”
Yahweh will lure Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army, to come with his chariots and his army, to the Kishon River, [a few miles away]. I will enable your men to defeat them there.’”
8 Baraki n’amuddamu nti, “Kale nnaagenda bw’onokkiriza ŋŋende naawe, naye bw’otokkirize nange siigende.”
Barak replied, “I will go only if you go with me.”
9 Debola n’amugamba nti, “Wewaawo nnaagenda naawe, naye ekitiibwa n’obuwanguzi tebiibe bibyo, kubanga Mukama aliwaayo Sisera awangulwe mu mikono gy’omukazi.” Baraki n’addayo ne Debola e Kedesi.
She replied, “Okay, I will go with you. But because that is what you have decided to do, Yahweh will enable a woman to defeat Sisera, and the result will be that (you will not be honored/people will not honor you) [for doing that].”
10 Baraki n’ayita ab’ekika kya Zebbulooni n’ekya Nafutaali bakuŋŋaanire e Kedesi, abasajja omutwalo gumu ne bamugoberera awamu ne Debola.
So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. There he summoned men from Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men came to him, and then they went together with Deborah [to Tabor Mountain].
11 Keberi Omukeeni yazimba eweema ye okumpi n’omuti omwera e Zaanannimu ekiri okumpi ne Kedesi oluvannyuma lw’okwawukana ne Bakeeni banne, bazzukulu ba Kobabu mukoddomi wa Musa.
At that time Heber, one of the descendants of the Ken people-group, had moved [with his wife Jael] from the area where that group lived, and set up his tent near the big oak tree at Zaanannim, near Kedesh. Heber was a descendant of Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab.
12 Awo Sisera bwe yamanya nga Baraki mutabani wa Abinoamu atuuse ku Lusozi Taboli,
Someone told Sisera that Barak had gone up on Tabor Mountain [with an army].
13 n’akuŋŋaanya amagaali ge gonna lwenda ag’ekyuma, n’abalwanyi be bonna okuva ku Kalosesi eky’abamawanga okutuuka ku mugga Kisoni.
So he gathered his troops with their 900 chariots, and they marched from Harosheth-Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14 Debola n’agamba Baraki nti, “Mukama si y’akukulembedde! Noolwekyo situkiramu kubanga olwa leero Mukama awaddeyo Sisera mu mikono gyo.” Awo Baraki n’ava ku lusozi Taboli n’abalwanyi be omutwalo gumu.
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day that Yahweh will enable your [army] to defeat the army of Sisera. Yahweh is going ahead of you!” So Barak led his men as they descended from Tabor Mountain.
15 Mukama n’afufuggaza n’ekitala Sisera n’amagaali gonna n’eggye lye lyonna nga Baraki alaba; Sisera n’abuuka mu ggaali lye, n’adduka.
As they advanced, Yahweh caused Sisera and all his chariots and his army to have great difficulty maneuvering/moving around. So Sisera jumped down from his chariot and ran away.
16 Baraki n’afubutula eggye lya Sisera n’amagaali gaalyo okutuuka e Keloseesi eky’amawanga; era n’abatta n’ekitala obutalekaawo yadde n’omu.
But Barak and his men pursued the other chariots and the enemy soldiers as far as Harosheth-Haggoyim. They killed all of the men in Sisera’s army. Not one man survived.
17 Naye Sisera n’addukira eri eweema ya Yayeeri mukazi w’Omukeeni Keberi: Kubanga waaliwo enkolagana wakati wa kabaka w’e Kazoli, Yabini n’ab’omu maka g’Omukeeni Keberi.
But Sisera ran to Jael’s tent. He did that because [his boss], King Jabin of Hazor [city], was a good friend of [Jael’s husband] Heber.
18 Yayeeri n’afuluma okusisinkana Sisera; n’amugamba nti, “Mukama wange yingira mu weema yange, totya.” Sisera n’ayingira mu weema. Yayeeri n’amubikkako omunagiro.
Jael went out to greet Sisera. She said to him, “Sir, come into my tent! Do not be afraid!” So he went into the tent [and lay down], and she covered him with a blanket.
19 Namwegayirira nti, “Mpa ku tuzzi nnyweko kubanga ennyonta enzita.” N’asumulula eddiba omufukibwa amata n’amunywesa oluvannyuma n’amubikkako.
He said to her, “I’m thirsty; can you give me some water?” So she opened a leather container of milk, and gave him a drink. Then she covered him with the blanket again.
20 Sisera n’agamba Yayeeri nti, “Yimirira mu mulyango gwa weema eno, omuntu yenna bw’ajja n’akubuuza obanga muno mulimu omusajja yenna, omuddamu nti, ‘Temuli.’”
He said to her, “Stand in the entrance of the tent. If someone comes and asks ‘Is anyone else here?’, say ‘No.’”
21 Awo Sisera bwe yali nga ali mu tulo tungi, Yayeeri mukazi wa Keberi n’addira enkondo ya weema n’ennyondo n’amusooberera n’amukomerera enkondo mu kyenyi, n’eyitamu n’ekwata n’ettaka n’afa.
Sisera was very exhausted, so he soon was asleep. While he was sleeping, Jael crept quietly to him, holding a hammer and a tent peg. She pounded the peg into his skull, and all the way through his head into the ground, and he died.
22 Awo Baraki bwe yali nga anoonya Sisera, Yayeeri n’afuluma okumusisinkana, n’amugamba nti, “Jjangu nkulage omusajja gw’onoonya. Baraki n’ayingira mu weema n’alaba omulambo ggwa Sisera nga gukubiddwamu enkondo mu kyenyi.”
When Barak passed by Jael’s tent to look for Sisera, she went out to greet him. She said, “Come in, and I will show you the man you are searching for!” So he followed her into the tent, and he saw Sisera lying there, dead, with the tent peg through his head.
23 Ku lunaku olwo Katonda n’awa Abayisirayiri obuwanguzi ku Yabini kabaka wa Kanani.
On that day God enabled the Israelis to defeat [the army of] Jabin, the king of the people of Canaan.
24 Abayisirayiri ne beeyongera okufufuggaza Yabini kabaka wa Kanani okutuusa lwe bamuzikiririzza ddala.
From that time, the Israeli people continued to become stronger, and [the army of] King Jabin continued to become weaker. Finally the Israelis were able to completely subdue the people ruled by the king of Canaan.
