Abahluleli 5
1 Ngalolosuku uDibhora loBharakhi indodana ka-Abhinowami bahlabela ingoma le:
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2 “Lapho amakhosana ko-Israyeli esekhokhela, lapho abantu bezinikela ngokuzithandela, dumisani uThixo!
For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, for that the people offered themselves willingly, bless ye the LORD.
3 Zwanini lokhu lina makhosi! Lalelani lina babusi! Ngizahlabelela kuThixo, ngizahlabelela; ngizahubela ihubo, kuThixouNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, [even] I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 Awu Thixo, ekuqhamukeni kwakho eSeyiri, lapho usuka elizweni lase-Edomi, umhlaba wanyikinyeka, amazulu athululeka, amayezi athululela amanzi phansi.
LORD, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water.
5 Izintaba zazamazama phambi kukaThixo, yena owaseSinayi, phambi kukaThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
The mountains flowed down at the presence of the LORD, even yon Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 Ensukwini zikaShamigari indodana ka-Anathi, ensukwini zikaJayeli, imigwaqo yayideliwe; izihambi zithatha izindledlana ezimazombe.
In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 Izakhamizi zako-Israyeli kazizange zilwe, zahlehlela emuva kwaze kwavela mina Dibhora, kwavela umama ko-Israyeli.
The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8 UNkulunkulu wakhetha abakhokheli abatsha lapho impi isifike emasangweni edolobho, kodwa akulahawu kumbe umkhonto owabonakalayo phakathi kwezinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane ko-Israyeli.
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 Inhliziyo yami ikanye lamakhosana ako-Israyeli, kanye labazinikela ngokuzithandela phakathi kwabantu. Dumisani uThixo!
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: bless ye the LORD.
10 Lina eligada obabhemi abamhlophe, lihlezi ezihlalweni zenu zengubo, lani elihamba emgwaqweni cabangani
Tell [of it], ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich carpets, and ye that walk by the way.
11 ilizwi labahlabeleli ezindaweni zamanzi okunathisa. Bahuba ngokulunga kukaThixo, ukunqoba kwezakhamizi zako-Israyeli. Lapho-ke abantu bakaThixo behlela emasangweni edolobho.
Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, [even] the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.
12 ‘Vuka, vuka, Dibhora! Vuka, vuka, uhlabele ingoma! Vuka weBharakhi! Uthumbe abathunjiweyo bakho, wena ndodana ka-Abhinowami.’
Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 Ngakho abantu ababesele bafika ezikhulwini; abantu bakaThixo beza kimi labalamandla.
Then came down a remnant of the nobles [and] the people; the LORD came down for me against the mighty.
14 Abanye bavela ko-Efrayimi, abamdabuko wabo use-Amaleki; uBhenjamini wayelabantu abakulandelayo. Izinduna zamabutho zavela eMakhiri, koZebhuluni labo abaphatha intonga yomlawuli webutho.
Out of Ephraim [came down] they whose root is in Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal’s staff.
15 Amakhosana ako-Isakhari ayeloDibhora; yebo, u-Isakhari wayeloBharakhi emxhuma ngesiqubu ezigodini. Eziqintini zakoRubheni kwaba lokuhlolwa okukhulu kwezinhliziyo.
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; as was Issachar, so was Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.
16 Lahlalelani ezibayeni ukuzwa amakhwelo enqanda izimvu na? Eziqintini zakoRubheni, kwaba lokuhlolwa okukhulu kwezinhliziyo.
Why satest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 UGiliyadi wahlala ngaphetsheya kweJodani. LoDani wasalelani ngasemikhunjini na? U-Asheri wasala ngasokhunjini wahlala emathekwini akhe olwandle.
Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks.
18 Abantu bakoZebhuluni bafaka impilo yabo uqobo engozini; wenza njalo loNafithali emiqolweni yeganga.
Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, and Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.
19 Amakhosi afika, alwa; amakhosi aseKhenani alwa, eThanakhi ngasemachibini aseMegido, kodwa kawazathwala isiliva, lempango.
The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan; in Taanach by the waters of Meggido: they took no gain of money.
20 Izinkanyezi zalwa zisemazulwini, zalwa loSisera zisezindleleni zazo.
They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 Umfula uKhishoni wabakhukhula, umfula wendulo, umfula uKhishoni. Phambili, mphefumulo wami; Qina!
The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.
22 Kwaduma amasondo amabhiza ematha, ematha ehamba amabhiza akhe alamandla.
Then did the horsehoofs stamp by reason of the pransings, the pransings of their strong ones.
23 ‘Iqalekiseni iMerozi,’ kwatsho ingilosi kaThixo, ‘Baqalekiseni kabuhlungu abantu bayo, ngoba kabezanga ukuzencedisa uThixo, ukuzasiza uThixo emelane labalamandla.’
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
24 Kabe ngobusiswe kakhulu kwabesifazane uJayeli, umkaHebheri umKheni, obusiswe kakhulu kwabesifazane abahlala emathenteni.
Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 Wacela amanzi, yena wamnika uchago, wamlethela amasi ngomganu ofanele izikhulu.
He asked water, [and] she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a lordly dish.
26 Wathatha isikhonkwane sethente ngesandla sakhe, isandla sakhe sokudla sathatha isando somkhandi. Watshaya uSisera, wachoboza ikhanda lakhe, waphahaza wabhoboza inhlafuno yakhe.
She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.
27 Wawohlokela ezinyaweni zakhe, wawa; wabhazalala khonapho. Wawohlokela ezinyaweni zakhe wawa; lapho awohlokela khona, wawela khonapho esefile.
At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28 UnakaSisera walunguza ngefasitela; ngemva kwewindi wanqolonga wathi, ‘Kungani inqola yakhe yempi iphuze kangaka ukufika? Kungani ukugodlozela kwezinqola zakhe zempi kuphuzile?’
Through the window she looked forth, and cried, the mother of Sisera [cried] through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 Ohlakaniphe kakhulu kumakhosazana akhe wamphendula; impela yena uhlezi ezitshela esithi,
Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30 ‘Kanti kabafumani mpango bayabelane na; intombazana loba amabili indoda nganye, izigqoko ezimibalabala eziyimpango kaSisera, izigqoko ezimibalabala ezicecisiweyo, izigqoko eziceciswe kakhulu zentamo yami, konke lokhu kuyimpango?’
Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? a damsel, two damsels to every man; to Sisera a spoil of divers colours, a spoil of divers colours of embroidery, of divers colours of embroidery on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?
31 Ngakho sengathi zingabhubha zonke izitha zakho, Oh Thixo! Kodwa sengathi labo abakuthandayo bangaba njengelanga lapho liphuma ngamandla alo.” Kwasekusiba lokuthula elizweni iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
So let all thine enemies perish, [O LORD]: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
