Deborah and Barak

Thunder dey roll over di plain. Rain dey beat down. Nine hundred iron chariots, di weapon wey people fear pass for di land, dey turn inside mud. And one river dey rise.

After Ehud die, Israel drift comot from God again. So one Canaanite king wey dem dey call Jabin, wey dey rule from di city of Hazor, take control of di north. Im army commander na Sisera, and Sisera get nine hundred chariots of iron. For twenty years e oppress Israel with wickedness. Di roads empty. People for villages hide. For di hill country of Ephraim, under one palm tree between Ramah and Bethel, one woman wey dem dey call Deborah dey sit. She be prophet, and she dey lead Israel as judge. People dey come meet her there make she settle dia quarrel.

One day Deborah send call one man wey dem dey call Barak, from Kedesh for di land of Naphtali. When e reach, she talk for God. Di Lord, di God of Israel, command you: go, gather ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun, carry dem go Mount Tabor. I go draw Sisera, with im chariots and im army, come di river Kishon, and I go give am enter your hand. Di promise clear. But Barak dey hesitate.

If you go with me, I go go. But if you no go with me, I no go go.

I go surely go with you. But di honour of dis journey no go be your own. Di Lord go hand Sisera over to woman.

So Deborah go, and ten thousand men climb Mount Tabor. Sisera hear about am, and e drive all im nine hundred chariots go di Kishon valley wey dey down. From di mountain, di iron army look like say nobody fit beat am. Then Deborah turn to Barak. Get up! Dis na di day wey Di Lord don give Sisera enter your hand. No be Di Lord don go before you? And Barak rush down di mountain with ten thousand men for im back. Di Lord throw Sisera army inside confusion and fear. Deborah song later tell us say di sky itself fight dat day. Di clouds pour water. Di river Kishon sweep di enemy go. Chariots wey dem build for hard ground no get use inside flood. Sisera jump down from im chariot and run for im life with im leg.

E run go di tent of one woman wey dem dey call Jael, di wife of Heber di Kenite. Heber people get peace with King Jabin, so Sisera think say e go dey safe. Jael come out come meet am. Come in, my lord, come in. No fear. She cover am with blanket. E ask for water, and she give am milk. Stand for di door, e talk. If anybody ask whether man dey here, talk say no. Tire don catch am, so e sleep. Then Jael take tent peg and hammer, di everyday tools of her tent. She waka softly go meet am, and she drive di peg pass di side of im head enter di ground, and di man wey don make Israel live inside fear for twenty years die for im sleep. When Barak reach as e dey pursue am, Jael go out come meet am. Come, make I show you di man wey you dey find. E enter, and see Sisera lie down there, dead, with di tent peg for di side of im head. Deborah words don come true.

Dat day God bring Jabin down, and Israel dey grow stronger until im power break. Then Deborah and Barak sing one song of victory. Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing song! Dem praise di people wey offer demself come, and Di Lord wey march go before dem. Di stars from dia road for sky fight against Sisera. And di land rest for forty years.

Judges tell dis victory two times, first as story for chapter four, then as poem for chapter five, di Song of Deborah. Many scholars see dat song as one of di oldest poems for di whole Hebrew Bible, with very old forms of di language. And di poem add one detail wey di story no spell out: di earth shake, di heavens pour, and di Kishon sweep di enemy go. Chariots na di tanks of dia time, but sudden flood fit turn di plain to trap.

Deborah and Barak. You go find am for Judges chapter four and five. Deborah listen to God and she talk out. Barak, even with all im hesitation, still rush down dat mountain, and later di New Testament call im name among di heroes of faith. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When God way clear, wetin go help you take di first step down di mountain?