The Song of Deborah

¹Base behlabelela oDebora noBaraki indodana ka-Abinohama ngalolo suku, bethi:

²“Ngokuba abaholi beholile kwa-Israyeli, ngokuba abantu bezinikela ngenhliziyo, bongani uJehova.

³“Yizwani nina makhosi; bekani indlebe nina zikhulu; mina, yebo, mina ngiyakuhlabelela kuJehova, ngihubele kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.

⁴“Jehova, ekuphumeni kwakho eSeyiri, ekusukeni kwakho ezweni lakwa-Edomi umhlaba wazamazama, namazulu aconsa, yebo, amafu aconsa amanzi.

⁵Izintaba zathuthumela ebusweni bukaJehova, yebo, nalo iSinayi lelo, ebusweni bukaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.

⁶“Ezinsukwini zikaShamgari indodana ka-Anati, ezinsukwini zikaJayeli imendo yayishiyiwe; ababeyakuhamba ngemendo bahamba ngemikhondo.

⁷Abaholi baphela kwa-Israyeli, banqamuka, ngaze ngavuka mina Debora, ngavuka ngingunina kwa-Israyeli.

⁸Bakhetha onkulunkulu abasha; lapho kwafika impi emasangweni; kwabonwa isihlangu noma umkhonto yini phakathi kwezinkulungwane ezingamashumi amane kwa-Israyeli na?

⁹Inhliziyo yami ikubabusi bakwa-Israyeli abazinikelayo ngenhliziyo phakathi kwabantu; bongani uJehova.

¹⁰“Nina enigibela izimbongolo ezimhlophe, nina enihlezi emacansini, nani enihamba ngendlela, kulandeni.

¹¹Ekwahlukaniseni impango phakathi kwemiqengqe yamanzi balanda khona izenzo ezilungileyo zikaJehova, ukulunga kokubusa kwakhe kwa-Israyeli; khona abantu bakaJehova behlela emasangweni.

¹²“ ‘Vuka, vuka, Debora! Vuka, vuka, uhube ihubo! Vuka, Baraki, uthumbe abathunjwa bakho, wena ndodana ka-Abinohama!’

¹³“Khona wayenza insali ukuba ibuse abakhulu; abantu bakaJehova bangibeka ukuba ngibuse iziqhwaga.

¹⁴Kwavela kwa-Efrayimi abampande yabo ikuma-Amaleki; emva kwakho nguBenjamini phakathi kwabantu bakho. KwaMakiri kwavela ababusi, kwaZebuloni abaphethe intonga yomholi.

¹⁵Izikhulu zakwa-Isakare zazinaye uDebora; njengo-Isakare, kanjalo noBaraki; behlela ngokushesha esigodini ezinyathelweni zakhe. Ngaseminonjaneni yakwaRubeni kwakukhona ukululekana okukhulu kwenhliziyo.

¹⁶Wahlalelani ezibayeni zezimvu ukuzwa ikhwelo lemihlambi na? Ngaseminonjaneni yakwaRubeni kwakukhona ukululekana okukhulu kwenhliziyo.

¹⁷UGileyadi wahlala phesheya kweJordani; uDani walibalelani emikhunjini na? U-Asheri wahlala ngasogwini lolwandle, wasala ngasemathekwini akhe.

¹⁸UZebuloni wayengabantu abazidela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, uNafetali kanjalo ezindaweni eziphakemeyo zezwe.

¹⁹“Amakhosi afika alwa, alwa amakhosi aseKhanani eThahanaki ngasemanzini aseMegido; awathathanga nzuzo yamali.

²⁰Kwaliwa ezulwini; izinkanyezi ezindleleni zazo zalwa noSisera.

²¹Umfudlana iKishoni wabakhukhula, umfudlana wamandulo, umfudlana iKishoni. Awu, mphefumulo wami, nyathela ngamandla.

²²Khona zadubuza izinselo zamahhashi ngokugadula, ukugadula kwezinkweli zawo.

²³‘Qalekisani iMerozi,’ kwasho ingelosi kaJehova; ‘qalekisani nokuqalekisa abantu balo, ngokuba abezanga ukumsiza uJehova ukuba bamsize uJehova ukulwa neziqhwaga.’

²⁴“Uyakubusiswa phezu kwabesifazane uJayeli umkaHebere umKheni, abusiswe phezu kwabesifazane basematendeni.

²⁵Wacela amanzi, wamupha ubisi, wamlethela amangqanga ngesitsha samakhosi.

²⁶Wafaka isandla sakhe esikhonkwaneni, esokunene sakhe esandweni sezisebenzi; ngesando wamshaya uSisera, wadebeza ikhanda lakhe, yebo, wamgqobhoza, wambhoboza esikhaleni sendlebe.

²⁷Wakhothama ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wawa, walala; ngasezinyaweni zakhe wafola, wawa; lapho wakhothama khona, wawela khona efile.

²⁸“Wabheka efasiteleni, wamemeza, unina kaSisera wathi eheleni: ‘Inqola yakhe ilibalelani ukufika na? Zilibaziselwani izinyawo zezinqola zakhe na?’

²⁹Amakhosazana akhe ahlakaniphileyo amphendula, yebo, wazibuyisela yena uqobo impendulo ngokuthi:

³⁰‘Angithi batholile babelana impango? Intombi, yebo, izintombi ezimbili endodeni ngayinye; kuSisera impango yezingubo ezinemibala, impango yezingubo ezinemibala ezifekethisiweyo; izingubo ezimbili ezinemibala ezifekethisiweyo zezintamo zaba yimpango.’

³¹“Mazibhubhe kanjalo zonke izitha zakho, Jehova; kepha abamthandayo mababe njengelanga, lapho liphuma ngamandla alo.” Izwe selaba nokuthula iminyaka engamashumi amane.