< Balam 5 >

1 Ku olwo Debola ne Baraki mutabani wa Abinoamu ne bayimba bwe bati:
Then sang Deborah with Barak the son of Abino'am on that day, saying,
2 “Mutendereze Mukama kubanga mu Isirayiri abakulembeze baatuukiriza omulimu gwabwe n’abantu ne beewaayo nga baagala.
When depravity had broken out in Israel, then did the people offer themselves willingly; [therefore] praise ye the Lord.
3 “Muwulirize mmwe bakabaka, musseeyo omwoyo mmwe abalangira; nze kennyini, nze nnaayimbira Mukama; nze nnaayimbira Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri.
Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I—unto the Lord will I sing; I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.
4 “Mukama, bwe wava e Seyiri, bwe wava mu kitundu kya Edomu okutabaala, ensi n’ekankana, enkuba n’eyiika okuva mu ggulu. Weewaawo, ebire ne bifukumuka amazzi.
Lord, at thy going forth out of Seir, at thy marching along out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, also the clouds dropped water.
5 Ensozi ne zikankana awali Mukama, Oyo owa Sinaayi, ne lukankana mu maaso Mukama Katonda w’Abayisirayiri.
The mountains melted away because of the presence of the Lord, yonder Sinai, because of the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 “Ku mulembe gwa Samugali, mutabani wa Anasi, ne ku mulembe gwa Yayeeri abatambuze tebaayitanga, mu nguudo nnene, baatambuliranga mu mpenda.
In the days of Shamgar the son of 'Anath, in the days of Ja'el, the highways were unoccupied, and those who travelled on roads walked through crooked by-paths.
7 Abakulembeze mu Isirayiri baggwaawo okutuusa nze Debola lwe nayimuka, nga nnyina wa bonna mu Isirayiri.
Desolate were the open towns in Israel, they were desolate, until that I arose, Deborah, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8 Bwe beefunira abakulembeze abalala, entalo ne ziryoka zibalukawo mu Isirayiri. Ku basajja Abayisirayiri emitwalo ena kwaliko n’omu eyalina effumu oba engabo?
They chose new gods, then was there war in the gates: was there a shield seen or a spear among forty thousand in Israel?
9 Omutima gwange guli eri abakulembeze b’Abayisirayiri, n’eri abantu abeewaayo nga baagala. Mutendereze Mukama.
My heart [belongeth] to the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: praise ye the Lord.
10 “Mukyogereko mmwe, abeebagala ku ndogoyi enjeru, mmwe abatuula ku biwempe ebirungi ennyo, nammwe abatambulira mu kkubo.
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and ye who walk on the way, utter praise!
11 Wulira oluyimba lw’abantu ku luzzi, nga batendereza obuwanguzi era n’ebikolwa bya Mukama eby’obutuukirivu, ebikolwa bye eby’obutuukirivu nga akulembera Abayisirayiri. “Awo abantu ba Mukama ne baserengeta, ne bagenda ku miryango gy’ebibuga byabwe.
[Urged on] by the voice of those who divide [the flocks] between the watering wells, there shall they rehearse the benefits of the Lord, the benefits toward his open towns in Israel; [for] now go down [again] to the gates the people of the Lord.
12 Zuukuka, zuukuka Debola zuukuka, zuukuka, okulembere oluyimba; golokoka, Baraki okulembere abawambe bo nga basibiddwa, ggwe mutabani wa Abinoamu.
Awake, awake, Deborah! awake, awake, utter a song! up, Barak, and lead away thy captives, son of Abino'am.
13 “Awo abakungu abaasigalawo ne baserengeta, abantu ba Mukama, ne baserengeta okulwanyisa ow’amaanyi.
Then obtained dominion a few that had escaped for the nobles among the people—the Lord gave me dominion over the mighty.
14 Awo abaava mu kitundu kya Efulayimu ne baserengeta mu kiwonvu, nga bakugoberera ggwe, Benyamini, n’ab’ekika kyo. Mu Makiri ne wavaayo abakulembeze, ne baserengeta, ne mu kitundu kya Zebbulooni ne wavaayo abaduumizi.
They whose root is out of Ephraim were against 'Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, with thy armies; out of Machir came down lawgivers, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 Abalangira ba Isakaali baali wamu ne Debola; era Isakaali yali wamu ne Baraki. Ne bafubutuka okumugoberera mu kiwonvu. Olw’enjawukana ezaali mu kika kya Lewubeeni, waaliwo okusooka okufumiitiriza ennyo mu mitima gyabwe.
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yea Issachar, the support of Barak; into the valley he hastened down in his train; [but] at the streams of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 Kiki ekyakusigaza mu bisibo byo eby’endiga, okuwuliriza endere zebafuuyira endiga? Olw’enjawukana ezaali mu kika kya Lewubeeni, waaliwo okusooka okufumiitiriza ennyo mu mitima gyabwe.
Why didst thou sit among the sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the flocks? At the streams of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Ab’ekika kya Gireyaadi baasigala mitala wa Yoludaani. N’ab’ekika kya Ddaani ekyabasigaza mu byombo kiki? Ab’ekika kya Aseri; baasigala ku lubalama lw’ennyanja, ne babeera awali emyalo gyabwe.
Gil'ad abode beyond the Jordan; and Dan—why would he tarry in ships? Asher remained on the seashore, and abode near his bays.
18 Ab’ekika kya Zebbulooni baawaayo obulamu bwabwe, era n’ab’ekika kya Nafutaali mu ddwaniro.
Zebulun is a people that jeoparded its life unto death, and Naphtali—on the high places of the [battle] field.
19 “Ku mugga gw’e Megiddo mu Taanaki, bakabaka bajja ne balwana, bakabaka b’e Kanani baalwana. Naye tebaanyaga bintu.
There came kings, [and] fought, then fought the kings of Canaan, in Ta'anach by the waters of Megiddo: gain of money they took not away.
20 Emunyeenye zaalwana nga zisinziira mu ggulu, zaalwanyisa Sisera nga bwe zetoloola mu bbanga.
From heaven they fought—the stars in their courses fought against Sissera.
21 Omugga Kisoni gwabasanyizaawo ddala, omugga ogwo ogw’edda omugga Kisoni. Ggwe emmeeme yange, kkumba n’amaanyi.
The stream of Kishon swept them away, that ancient stream, the stream of Kishon: step along, O my soul, in victorious strength.
22 Awo embalaasi ne zijja nga zirigita era nga bwe zisambirira ettaka, ensolo zaabwe ezo ez’amaanyi.
Then were crushed the hoofs of the horses, through the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.
23 Malayika wa Mukama n’agamba nti, ‘Mukolimire Merozi. Mukolimire nnyo ababeera e Merozi; kubanga tebeetaba mu lutalo lwa Mukama. Tebaalwetabaamu nga Mukama Katonda alwanyisa ab’amaanyi.’
Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of the Lord, yea, curse ye bitterly its inhabitants; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the mighty.
24 “Nga wa mukisa Yayeeri okusinga abakazi bonna! Nga wa mukisa Yayeeri mukazi w’Omukeeni Keberi, okusinga abakazi bonna ababeera mu weema!
Blessed above [other] women shall be Ja'el the wife of Cheber the Kenite, above [other] women [dwelling] in the tent may she be blessed.
25 Bwe yasaba amazzi, yamuwa mata, era n’amuleetera n’omuzigo mu bbawulo ey’ekikungu.
Water he asked, milk she gave [him]: in a lordly dish she brought him cream.
26 Yakwata enkondo ya weema mu mukono gwe ogwa kkono, n’ennyondo mu gwa ddyo, n’akomerera Sisera enkondo mu kyenyi n’eyita namu.
Her hand she put forth to the nail, and her right hand to the laborious workmen's hammer; and she hammered Sissera, she struck his head, and crushed and smote through his temple.
27 Amaanyi gaamuggwa n’agwa; yagwa ku bigere bya Yayeeri n’alambaala we yagwa we yafiira.
Between her feet he bent, he fell, he lay; between her feet he bent, he fell: where he had bent, there he fell down, bereft of life.
28 “Nnyina wa Sisera yalingiriza mu ddirisa; yayisa amaaso mu ddirisa, n’aleekaanira waggulu nti ‘Kiki ekirwisizza eggaali lye okujja? Okuguluba kw’eggaali lye nga sikuwulira?’
Out of the window looked and moaned the mother of Sissera, through the lattice, Why tarrieth his chariot so long in coming? why lag the wheels of his chariot?
29 Abazaana be abagezi baba tebanamuddamu ne yeddamu yekka.
The wise among her ladies answered her, she also returned a reply to herself.
30 ‘Tebazudde omunyago era tebali mu kugugabana, omuwala omu oba babiri buli musajja? Sisera tufunye omunyago ogw’engoye enduke ez’amabala? Eminagiro ebiri emiruke, egy’amabala tegiibe gyange?’
Will they not find, —divide booty? one maiden, two maidens for every man, a booty of colored garments for Sissera, a booty of colored embroidered garments, colored, double-worked garments round the necks of the captives!
31 “Ayi Mukama Katonda abalabe bo bazikirirenga bwe batyo nga Sisera. Naye abo bonna abakwagala bamasemasenga ng’enjuba ey’akavaayo mu maanyi gaayo.” Awo ne wayitawo emyaka ana nga Abayisirayiri bali mu mirembe.
Thus may perish all thy enemies, O Lord; but may those that love him be as the rising of the sun in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

< Balam 5 >