Judges 4 – NIV & AKCB

New International Version

Judges 4:1-24

Deborah

1Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

4Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading4:4 Traditionally judging Israel at that time. 5She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ ”

8Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

9“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

11Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law,4:11 Or father-in-law and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

12When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.

14Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

16Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. 17Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.

18Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19“I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

20“Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’ ”

21But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

22Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.

23On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

Atemmufo 4:1-24

Debora Bɛyɛ Israel So Otemmufo

1Ehud wu akyi no, Israelfo no yɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so bio. 2Enti Awurade de wɔn hyɛɛ Kanaanhene Yabin a na odi ade wɔ Hasor no nsa. Na ɔsahene a otua nʼakofo ano no din de Sisera a na ɔte Haroset-Hagoyim. 3Na Sisera wɔ nnade nteaseɛnam ahankron, na ɔde atirimɔden hyɛɛ Israelfo no so mfirihyia aduonu. Afei Israelfo no su frɛɛ Awurade pɛɛ mmoa.

4Debora a na ɔyɛ Lapidot yere ne odiyifobea na ɔbɛyɛɛ Israelfo temmufo. 5Na ɔtenaa Debora Abɛ Dua ase a ɛwɔ Rama ne Bet-El ntam wɔ Efraim bepɔw asase no so. Ɛhɔ na na Israelfo no kɔ ma odi wɔn nsɛm. 6Da bi, ɔsoma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ Abinoam babarima Barak a na ɔte Kedes wɔ Naftali asase so. Ɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɛɛ na Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn hyɛ wo sɛ yɛ: Kɔboaboa akofo mpem du ano fi Naftali ne Sebulon mmusuakuw mu wɔ Tabor bepɔw so hɔ. 7Mɛdaadaa Yabin nsraadɔm sahene Sisera ne ne nteaseɛnam ne akofo akɔ Asubɔnten Kison ho. Ɛhɔ na mɛma woadi ne so nkonim.”

8Barak ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɛ wo ne me bɛkɔ de a, mɛkɔ!”

9Debora buaa no se, “Mate, me ne wo bɛkɔ, nanso worennya anuonyam biara wɔ dwumadi yi mu, efisɛ Awurade nkonimdi wɔ Sisera so no befi ɔbea nsam.” Enti Debora ne Barak kɔɔ Kedes. 10Kedes hɔ, Barak frɛfrɛɛ Sebulon abusuakuw ne Naftali abusuakuw mu nnipa nyinaa, na akofo mpem du ne no kɔe. Debora nso kaa wɔn ho kɔe.

11Na Kenini Heber atwe ne ho afi Kenifo4.11 Efi Mose bere so na Kenifo ne Israelfo yɛ baako (2 Mose 3.1). Bere a wodi Kanaanfo so no, wɔne Israelfo na wɔko tiaa wɔn (2 Ah 1.6). a wɔyɛ Mose akonta Hobab asefo no ho, akosi ne ntamadan wɔ dua kɛse bi a esi Saananim a ɛbɛn Kedes no ho.

12Bere a wɔka kyerɛɛ Sisera sɛ Abinoam ba Barak aforo kɔ Tabor bepɔw so no, 13ɔboaboaa ne nnade nteaseɛnam ahankron ano ne nʼakofo nyinaa, na wotu sen fii Haroset-Hagoyim kɔɔ Asubɔnten Kison ho.

14Afei, Debora ka kyerɛɛ Barak sɛ, “Yɛ ahoboa! Nnɛ ne da a Awurade de Sisera so nkonimdi bɛma wo, efisɛ, Awurade atu ɔsa adi wʼanim.” Enti Barak dii nʼakofo mpem du anim sian Tabor bepɔw no kɔkoe. 15Bere a Barak tow hyɛɛ wɔn so no, Awurade maa huboa bɔɔ Sisera, ne nteaseɛnamkafo ne nʼakofo no nyinaa. Ɛbaa saa no, Sisera huruw fii ne teaseɛnam mu sii fam guanee.

16Barak nteaseɛnam ne ɔtamfo no nsraadɔm no ara kosii Haroset-Hagoyim, kunkum Sisera akofo no nyinaa. Anka wɔn mu baako mpo. 17Sisera guan kɔhyɛɛ Kenini Heber yere Yael ntamadan mu, efisɛ na Heber abusuafo ne Hasorhene Yabin wɔ ayɔnkofa.

18Yael fii adi kohyiaa Sisera ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Owura, bra me ntamadan yi mu. Bra mu. Nsuro.” Enti ɔkɔɔ ntamadan no mu ma ɔde nnaso kataa ne so.

19Sisera ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Mesrɛ wo, osukɔm de me nti ma me nsu.” Enti ɔmaa no nufusu sɛ ɔnnom, na ɔsan kataa ne so.

20Sisera ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Gyina ntamadan no ano na sɛ obi bebisa wo se obi wɔ ha a, ka se dabi.”

21Nanso ɔbrɛ nti, Sisera faa mu dae. Yael, a ɔyɛ Heber yere, yɛɛ brɛoo kɔɔ ne so. Ɔde asae ne pɛe na ɛkɔe. Ɔde pɛe no sii ne moma so de hama no bɔɔ so, kosii sɛ ehwirew ne moma mu sii fam ma owui.

22Bere a Barak baa sɛ ɔrebɛhwehwɛ Sisera no, Yael pue behyiaa no. Ɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Bra na menkyerɛ wo ɔbarima a worehwehwɛ no no.” Enti, odii nʼakyi kɔɔ ntamadan no mu kohuu Sisera sɛ wawu da hɔ a pɛe si ne moma so.

23Da no na Israel huu sɛ Onyankopɔn adi Kanaanhene Yabin so nkonim. 24Na ɛno akyi no, Israel nyaa ahoɔden tiaa ɔhene Yabin ara kosii sɛ akyiri no, wɔsɛee no.