Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Mene ɔbarima a mahunu amane wɔ nʼabufuo abaa ano.
2 Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light.
Wapam me afiri ne ho ama manante sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
3 Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day.
Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, ɛda mu nyinaa.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones.
Wama me wedeɛ ne me nam anyini Na wabubu me nnompe.
5 He hath built against me, and encompassed [me] with gall and toil.
Waka me ahyɛ mu, ɔde nwononwono ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.
Wama matena esum mu sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dada no.
7 He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
Wato ɔfasuo atwa me ho ahyia enti mentumi nnwane; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ baha.
8 Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpaeɛ srɛ mmoa a ɔsi me mpaeɛbɔ ano.
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Ɔde abotan asi me ɛkwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
10 He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.
Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛ,
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
ɔtwee me firi ɛkwan no mu dwerɛɛ me na ɔgyaa me a menni mmoa biara.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Ɔkuntunuu ne tadua mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
Ɔde bɛmma a ɛfiri ne kotokuo mu hwiree mʼakoma mu.
14 I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.
Meyɛɛ asredeɛ maa me nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛ ɛda mu nyinaa.
15 He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
Ɔde nhahan nwononwono ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
Ɔde aboseaa abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfuturo mu.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.
Wɔama asomdwoeɛ abɔ me; na mewerɛ afiri yiedie.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah.
Enti mese, “Mʼanimuonyam asa, deɛ mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
19 Remember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyini mu, nwononwono ne bɔnwoma mu.
20 My soul hath [them] constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Mekae yie, na me kra aboto wɔ me mu.
21 — This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.
Nanso, mekae yei ne saa enti, mewɔ anidasoɔ.
22 It is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not;
Awurade dɔ kɛseɛ enti yɛnnsɛeɛ. Nʼayamhyehyeɛ nni hwammɔ.
23 they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Ɛyɛ foforɔ anɔpa biara; wo nokorɛdie yɛ kɛseɛ.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Meka kyerɛ me ho sɛ, “Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.
Awurade yɛ ma wɔn a wɔn anidasoɔ wɔ ne mu, onipa a ɔhwehwɛ noɔ no;
26 It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.
Ɛyɛ sɛ wɔyɛ komm de twɛn Awurade nkwagyeɛ.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth:
Ɛyɛ ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa kɔnnua no wɔ ne mmeranteɛ ɛberɛ mu.
28 He sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him;
Ma ɔntena ase komm, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade de ato no so.
29 he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;
Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfuturo mu, ebia anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ.
30 he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.
Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma deɛ ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwuo.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever;
Na Awurade nto nnipa ntwene koraa.
32 but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:
Ɛwom, ɔde awerɛhoɔ ba deɛ, nanso ɔbɛnya ayamhyehyeɛ. Ne dɔ kɛseɛ no to rentwa da.
33 for he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
Ɔfiri amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhoɔ brɛ nnipa mma.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛ nneduafoɔ a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
35 to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
sɛ wɔtiatia obi ahofadie so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
36 to wrong a man in his cause, — will not the Lord see it?
anaa sɛ wɔbu obi ntɛnkyea a, Awurade nhunu saa nneɛma yi anaa?
37 Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?
Hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ ɛberɛ a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛeɛ?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good?
Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na musuo ne nnepa firi anaa?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefoɔ nwiinwii ɛberɛ a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsane nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
41 Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands unto God in the heavens.
Momma yɛmma yɛn akoma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka sɛ:
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
“Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛate atua na woamfa ankyɛ.
43 Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.
“Wode abufuo akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na wakunkum a woannya ahummɔborɔ.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.
Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu enti mpaeɛbɔ biara nnuru wo nkyɛn.
45 Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Woayɛ yɛn atantanneɛ ne wira wɔ amanaman no mu.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
“Yɛn atamfoɔ nyinaa abae wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin.
Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhweaseɛ, mmubuiɛ ne ɔsɛeɛ.”
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people.
Me nisuo sene sɛ asutene ɛfiri sɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfoɔ.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
Me nisuo bɛsene ara, na ɛrennyae,
50 till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.
kɔsi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afiri ɔsoro, na wahu.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Deɛ mehunu no ma me kra werɛ ho me kuropɔn no mu mmaa nyinaa enti.
52 They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.
Mʼatamfoɔ a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me.
Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔtwa me nkwa so na wɔsi me aboɔ wɔ amena mu;
54 Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
nsuo bu faa me tiri so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛdeɛ wɔrewie me.
55 I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.
Mebɔɔ wo din, Ao Awurade firi amena no ase tɔnn.
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsi wʼaso wɔ me gyeɛ sufrɛ ho.”
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
Wotwe bɛnee me ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ woɔ no, na wokaa sɛ, “Nsuro.”
58 Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life.
Ao Awurade, wodii mʼasɛm maa me; na wogyee me nkwa.
59 Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
Woahunu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Ao Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me.
Woahunu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔ a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me;
Ao Awurade, woate wɔn sopa, wɔn pɔ a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
62 the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.
deɛ mʼatamfoɔ ka no sɛ asomusɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
63 Behold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song.
Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wɔgyinagyina hɔ anaa sɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;
Fa deɛ ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Ao Awurade, deɛ wɔn nsa ayɛ enti.
65 give them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them;
Pirim wɔn akoma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
66 pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Fa abufuo taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn firi Awurade sorosoro ase.
