Abahluleli 5
1 UDebora loBaraki indodana kaAbinowama basebehlabela ngalolosuku besithi:
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 Ngenxa yokuphindisela kwezimpindiselo koIsrayeli, nxa abantu bezinikela ngokuzithandela, busisani iNkosi!
“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 Zwanini makhosi, libeke indlebe ziphathamandla, mina, mina ngizahlabela eNkosini, ngihubele iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 Nkosi, ekuphumeni kwakho eSeyiri, ekunyatheleni kwakho usuka ensimini yeEdoma, umhlaba wazamazama, lamazulu athonta, lamayezi athontisa amanzi.
O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
5 Izintaba zageleza phambi kweNkosi, iSinayi le phambi kweNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 Ensukwini zikaShamigari indodana kaAnathi, ensukwini zikaJayeli, izindlela zaphela, lababehamba ezindledlaneni bahamba ngezindlela ezimazombazombe.
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7 Izakhamizi zemakhaya zaphela koIsrayeli, zaphela, ngaze ngasukuma mina Debora, ngasukuma, unina koIsrayeli.
Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 Wakhetha onkulunkulu abatsha, khona kwaba lempi emasangweni. Sabonwa yini isihlangu lomkhonto phakathi kwabazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane koIsrayeli?
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
9 Inhliziyo yami ikubanikimithetho bakoIsrayeli, abazinikela ngokuzithandela phakathi kwabantu. Busisani iNkosi!
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 Bagadi babobabhemi abamhlophe, bahlali besigcabha, labahambi endleleni, khulumani.
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 Elizwini labatshoki, phakathi kwezindawo zokukha amanzi, lapho bayalandisa ngemisebenzi elungileyo yeNkosi, imisebenzi elungileyo yezakhamizi zemakhaya zakoIsrayeli. Ngalesosikhathi abantu beNkosi behlela emasangweni.
the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:
12 Vuka, vuka, Debora! Vuka, vuka, khuluma ingoma! Sukuma Baraki, uthumbe abathunjiweyo bakho, ndodana kaAbinowama.
‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
13 Khona yayenza insali yabusa phezu kwezinduna ebantwini; iNkosi yangenza ngabusa phezu kwabalamandla.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 Kuvela koEfrayimi impande yabo yayimelene loAmaleki; emva kwakho, Bhenjamini, phakathi kwabantu bakho; kuvela kuMakiri kwehla abanikumthetho, lakoZebuluni abadonsa ngentonga yombhali.
Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
15 Leziphathamandla zakoIsakari zaziloDebora; lanjengoIsakari, waba njalo uBaraki; wathunjwa esigodini ngenyawo zakhe. Ekwehlukaneni kukaRubeni izinqumo zenhliziyo zazizinkulu.
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
16 Wahlalelani phakathi kwezibaya ukuzwa umhlanga wokukhaliselwa izimvu? Izifunda zakoRubeni zaba lokuhlolwa okukhulu kwenhliziyo.
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
17 UGileyadi wahlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani. LoDani wahlalelani emikhunjini? UAsheri wahlala ekhunjini lolwandle, wahlala ethekwini.
Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
18 UZebuluni uyisizwe esadela umphefumulo waso kwaze kwaba sekufeni, loNafithali, emiqolweni yensimu.
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 Amakhosi afika alwa; khona amakhosi eKhanani alwa eThahanakhi ngasemanzini eMegido; kawathathanga impango yesiliva.
Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
20 Zisemazulwini zalwa, inkanyezi zisendleleni zazo zalwa loSisera.
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 Isifula iKishoni sabakhukhula, isifula sendulo, isifula iKishoni. Mphefumulo wami, unyathela ngamandla!
The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 Khona atshaya phansi amasondo amabhiza, ngokumatha, ukumatha kwabalamandla bakhe.
Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 Qalekisani iMerozi, kutsho ingilosi yeNkosi, qalekisani ngokuqalekisa abakhileyo kuyo, ngoba kabezanga kuncedo lweNkosi, kuncedo lweNkosi, lamaqhawe.
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
24 Uzabusiswa phezu kwabesifazana uJayeli umkaHeberi umKeni; ubusisiwe phezu kwabesifazana ethenteni.
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 Wacela amanzi, wamnika uchago, waletha amasi ngomganu wobukhosi.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 Welulela isandla sakhe esikhonkwaneni, lesandla sakhe sokunene esandweni sezisebenzi, wamtshaya uSisera, wachoboza ikhanda lakhe, wahlaba wabhoboza inhlafuno yakhe.
She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Phakathi laphakathi kwenyawo zakhe wakhothama wawa walala; phakathi laphakathi kwenyawo zakhe wakhothama wawa, lapho akhothamela khona, wawa lapho efile echithekile.
At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
28 Unina kaSisera walunguza ngewindi, wanqolonga ngeminxibo yewindi wathi: Kungani inqola yakhe iphuza ukuza? Kungani ephuzile amavili ezinqola zakhe?
Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
29 Izihlakaniphi zamakhosazana akhe zaphendula, yebo yena wazibuyisela impendulo yakhe wathi:
Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 Kabatholanga yini bayaba impango, intombazana, amantombazana amabili kuleyo laleyondoda, impango yamalembu aconjiweyo kaSisera, impango yamalembu aconjiweyo afekethisiweyo ngenalithi, amalembu amabili aconjiweyo afekethisiweyo ngenalithi, awentamo zomphangi?
‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil— a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
31 Ngokunjalo kazibhubhe zonke izitha zakho, Nkosi. Kodwa abayithandayo kababe njengokuphuma kwelanga ngamandla alo. Lelizwe lathula iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
