< Lamentations 1 >

1 ALEPH. O how a city once filled with people now sits alone! The Governess of the Gentiles has become like a widow. The Prince of the provinces has been placed under tribute.
Ao, sɛdeɛ kuropɔn no adane amamfo nie, kuropɔn a anka nnipa ahyɛ no ma? Ɛdeɛn enti na wayɛ okunafoɔ baa a kane no na anka woyɛ kɛseɛ wɔ amanaman no mu? Deɛ na ɔyɛ ɔhemmaa wɔ amantam no mu no abɛyɛ afenaa ɛnnɛ.
2 BETH. Weeping, she has wept through the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. There is no one to be a comfort to her and to all her beloved. All her friends have spurned her, and they have become her enemies.
Ɔsu yaayaaya anadwo, nisuo sensane nʼafono so. Nʼadɔfoɔ nyinaa mu no, ɔbiara nni hɔ a ɔkyekyere ne werɛ. Nʼayɔnkofoɔ nyinaa adi no hwammɔ Wɔayɛ nʼatamfoɔ.
3 GHIMEL. Judah has migrated because of affliction and great servitude. She has lived among the nations and not found rest. All of her persecutors have apprehended her, amid torments.
Amanehunu ne adwumaden akyi no, Yuda kɔ nnommumfa mu. Ɔte amanaman no mu na ɔnni ahomegyebea Wɔn a wɔtaa no nyinaa ati no wɔ nʼahokyere mu.
4 DALETH. The pathways of Zion mourn, because there are none who approach for the solemnity. All her gates are destroyed. Her priests groan. Her virgins are filthy. And she is overwhelmed with bitterness.
Akwan a ɛkɔ Sion no di awerɛhoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ obiara nkɔ nʼafahyɛ ase. Nʼapono nyinaa adeda mpan, na nʼasɔfoɔ si apinie, ne mmabaawa di yea, na ɔwɔ yeadie a emu yɛ den.
5 HE. Her enemies have been made her leaders; her adversaries have been enriched. For the Lord has spoken against her, because of the multitude of her iniquities. Her little ones have been led into captivity before the face of the tribulator.
Nʼatamfoɔ abɛyɛ ne wuranom; wɔn a wɔ ne no ayɛ dom ho adwo wɔn. Awurade ama awerɛhoɔ aba ne so nʼamumuyɛ bebrebe enti. Ne mma kɔ nnommumfa mu. Wɔayɛ nneduafoɔ ama ɔtamfoɔ.
6 VAU. And all her elegance has departed, from the daughter of Zion. Her leaders have become like rams that cannot find pasture, and they have gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.
Animuonyam nyinaa atu afiri Ɔbabaa Sion so kɔ. Ne mmapɔmma ayɛ sɛ aforoteɛ a wɔnnya adidibea; na wɔde mmerɛyɛ adwane wɔ wɔn ataafoɔ anim.
7 ZAIN. Jerusalem has remembered the days of her affliction and the betrayal of all her desirable ones, whom she held from the days of antiquity, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and there was no one to be a helper. The enemies have looked upon her and mocked her Sabbaths.
Nʼamanehunu ne ananteananteɛ nna mu no, Yerusalem kae ademudeɛ nyinaa a na ɛwɔ no wɔ nna a atwam no mu. Ne nkurɔfoɔ kɔtɔɔ ɔtamfoɔ no nsa mu no, na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛboa no. Nʼatamfoɔ de wɔn ani hwɛɛ no na wɔseree ne sɛeɛ.
8 HETH. Jerusalem has sinned a grievous sinz. Because of this, she has become unstable. All who glorified her have spurned her, because they have looked upon her disgrace. Then she groaned and turned away again.
Yerusalem ayɛ bɔne kɛseɛ enti ne ho agu fi. Wɔn a wɔdi no ni no sopa no, ɛfiri sɛ wɔahunu nʼadagya; ɔno ankasa gu ahome na ɔdane nʼani.
9 TETH. Her filth is on her feet, and her end has not been remembered. She has been vehemently put down, having no consolation. O Lord, look upon my affliction, for the adversary has been lifted up.
Nʼafideyɛ atu aka ne ntadeɛ mu; wannwene ne daakye ho. Nʼasehweɛ yɛ nwanwa; obiara ankyekyere ne werɛ. “Ao Awurade hwɛ mʼamanehunu, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ adi nkonim.”
10 JOD. The enemy has sent his hand against all her desirable ones. For she has watched the Gentiles enter her sanctuary, even though you instructed that they should not enter into your church.
Ɔtamfoɔ no de ne nsa too nʼademudeɛ nyinaa so; ɔhunuu sɛ amanaman rehyɛne ne kronkronbea hɔ, nnipa a woabra sɛ wɔnnhyɛne wʼasafo mu no.
11 CAPH. All her people are groaning and seeking bread. They have given up whatever was precious in exchange for food, so as to remain alive. See, O Lord, and consider, for I have become vile.
Ne nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa si apinie ɛberɛ a wɔrepɛ aduane; wɔde wɔn ademudeɛ sesa aduane de nya ahoɔden. “Ao, Awurade, hwɛ na dwene me ho, ɛfiri sɛ wɔbu me animtia.”
12 LAMED. O all you who pass by the way, attend, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. For he has made me a vintage, just as the Lord has spoken in the day of his furious anger.
“Ɛmfa mo ho anaa, mo a motwam hɔ nyinaa? Monhwɛ na monhunu. Ɛyea bi wɔ hɔ a ɛte sɛ me deɛ a wɔma ɛbaa me soɔ yi anaa? Deɛ Awurade de baa me so wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ da no.
13 MEM. From on high, he has sent fire into my bones, and he has educated me. He has spread a net for my feet; he has turned me back. He has placed me in desolation, consumed by grief, all day long.
“Ɔsomaa ogya firi ɔsoro, ma ɛbaa me nnompe mu. Ɔsum afidie maa me nan na ɔsane me kɔɔ mʼakyi. Ɔyɛɛ me pasaa, metɔɔ bira da mu nyinaa.
14 NUN. Vigilant is the yoke of my iniquities. They have been folded together in his hand and imposed on my neck. My virtue has been weakened. The Lord has given me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise.
“Woakyekyere me bɔne sɛ adesoa; ɔde ne nsa nwene bɔɔ mu. Abɛda me kɔn mu na Awurade atwe mʼahoɔden. Ɔde me ahyɛ wɔn a merentumi nnyina wɔn anim no nsa.
15 SAMECH. The Lord has taken away all of my great ones from my midst. He has called forth time against me, so as to crush my elect ones. The Lord has trampled the winepress, which was for the virgin daughter of Judah.
“Awurade apo ahoɔdenfoɔ a wɔwɔ me ntam nyinaa; wafrɛ akodɔm atia me sɛ wɔmmɛdwɛre me mmeranteɛ. Awurade atiatia Ɔbabaa Yuda Bunu so wɔ ne nsakyiamena hɔ.
16 AIN. For this I weep, and my eyes bring forth water. For the consoler has been far away from me, changing my soul. My sons have become lost, because the enemy has prevailed.
“Yeinom enti na mesu na nisuo adware me. Obiara mmɛn a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ. Deɛ ɔbɛhyɛ me honhom den nni hɔ. Me mma agyigya ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no adi nkonim.”
17 PHE. Zion has reached out her hands; there is no one to console her. The Lord has given orders against Jacob; his enemies are all around him. Jerusalem among them is like a woman made unclean by menstruation.
Sion trɛ ne nsa mu nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye ne werɛ Awurade ahyɛ ama Yakob sɛ ne mfɛfoɔ bɛyɛ nʼatamfoɔ; Yerusalem abɛyɛ afideɛ wɔ wɔn mu.
18 SADE. The Lord is just, for it is I who has provoked his mouth to wrath. I beg all people to listen and to see my sorrow. My virgins and my youths have gone into captivity.
“Awurade yɛ ɔteneneeni, nanso manni nʼahyɛdeɛ so. Montie, mo amanaman nyinaa monhwɛ me yea. Me mmeranteɛ ne mmabaawa kɔ nnommumfa mu.
19 COPH. I called for my friends, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders have been consumed in the city. For they were seeking their food, so as to revive their life.
“Mefrɛɛ mʼapamfoɔ nanso wɔyii me maeɛ. Mʼasɔfoɔ ne me mpanimfoɔ ase tɔreɛ wɔ kuropɔn no mu, ɛberɛ a wɔrepɛ aduane adi na wɔanwuwu.
20 RES. See, O Lord, that I am in tribulation. My bowels have been disturbed, my heart has been subverted within me, for I am filled with bitterness. Outside, the sword puts to death, and at home there is a similar death.
“Ao Awurade, hwɛ me mmɔborɔ! Meredi ɛyea wɔ me mu, na mʼakoma mu nso menni ahotɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mayɛ otuatefoɔ kɛseɛ. Akofena hyɛ me awerɛhoɔ wɔ abɔntene so; efie nso yɛ owuo nko ara.
21 SIN. They have heard that I groan and that there is no one to console me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they have rejoiced that you caused it. You have brought in a day of consolation, and so they shall become like me.
“Nnipa ate mʼapinisie, nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ. Mʼatamfoɔ nyinaa ate mʼamanehunu wɔn ani gye deɛ woayɛ no ho. Ma nna a woahyɛ no mmra sɛdeɛ wɔbɛyɛ sɛ me.
22 THAU. Let all their evil enter before you. And make vintage of them, just as you made vintage of me, because of all my iniquities. For my sighs are many, and my heart is grieving.
“Fa wɔn atirimuɔdensɛm nyinaa si wʼanim; na wo ne wɔn nni sɛdeɛ wo ne me adie ɛsiane mʼamumuyɛ no enti. Mʼapinisie dɔɔso na mʼakoma aboto.”

< Lamentations 1 >