Lamentations 2
1 How the Lord has spread a cloud of his anger over the Daughter of Zion! He has thrown down Israel's glory from heaven to earth. He has deserted his Temple from the time he became angry.
Sɛdeɛ Awurade de nʼabufuhyeɛ omununkum akata Ɔbabaa Sion so nie? Wato Israel animuonyam firi soro abɛhwe fam; wankae ne nan ntiasoɔ wɔ nʼabufuo da no.
2 The Lord has destroyed without mercy all the places where the descendants of Jacob lived. In his anger he has torn down the fortresses of the Daughter of Judah. He has demolished and degraded the kingdom and its leaders.
Awurade annya ahummɔborɔ na wamene Yakob atenaeɛ nyinaa; nʼabufuhyeɛ mu, wadwiri Yuda Ɔbabaa aban denden no agu fam. Wagu nʼahennie ne ne mmapɔmma ho fi.
3 In his fury he has destroyed all of Israel's power, refusing to help as the enemy attacked. He was like a fire blazing in the land of Jacob, burning everything up.
Ɔde abufuhyeɛ atwitwa Israel mmɛn nyinaa. Wayi ne banbɔ wɔ ɛberɛ a atamfoɔ no reba. Wasɔ wɔ Yakob mu sɛ ogyadɛreɛ a ɛhye biribiara a atwa ho ahyia.
4 He has fired arrows from his bow as if he were their enemy; he has used his power against them like an attacker. He has killed all the beloved children; he has poured out his anger like fire on the tent of the Daughter of Zion.
Wapoma ne bɛmma te sɛ ɔtamfoɔ; ne nsa nifa ayɛ krado. Sɛdeɛ ɔtamfoɔ yɛ no, wakunkum wɔn a wɔyɛ fɛ wɔ anisoɔ nyinaa; wahwie nʼabufuhyeɛ sɛ ogya agu Ɔbabaa Sion ntomadan so.
5 The Lord has become like an enemy, completely destroying Israel and its palaces, demolishing its fortresses, making the Daughter of Judah cry and mourn more and more.
Awurade ayɛ sɛ ɔtamfoɔ; wamene Israel. Wamene nʼahemfie nyinaa asɛe nʼabandenden. Wama awerɛhoɔdie ne agyaadwotwa adɔɔso ama Yuda Ɔbabaa.
6 He has torn down his Temple as if was a garden shed; he has destroyed his meeting place. The Lord has made Zion forget about her religious festivals and Sabbaths. In his fury he has disowned both king and priest.
Wama nʼatenaeɛ ada mpan sɛ turo; wasɛe ne dwabirem. Awurade ama Sion werɛ afiri nʼafahyɛ ne home nna; wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ mu no wabu ɔhene ne ɔsɔfoɔ animtia.
7 The Lord has discarded his altar; he has abandoned his Temple. He has handed it over to the enemy. They were shouting triumphantly in the Lord's Temple just as worshipers did on festival days.
Awurade apo nʼafɔrebukyia na wagyae ne kronkronbea mu. Ɔde nʼahemfie afasuo ahyɛ nʼatamfoɔ nsa. Wɔteam wɔ Awurade efie te sɛ afahyɛ da.
8 The Lord was determined to destroy the defensive walls of the Daughter of Zion. He measured out what he would destroy, and didn't hesitate to do it. He made the battlements and walls weep; they both disintegrated.
Awurade sii nʼadwene pi sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Ɔbabaa Sion ɔfasuo a atwa ne ho ahyia no. Ɔde susuhoma too ho na wannyae ɔsɛeɛ no. Ɔmaa apie ne afasuo dii abooboo; wɔn nyinaa sɛeɛ.
9 Her gates have collapsed to the ground; he has destroyed their bars, breaking them apart. Her king and her princes have been exiled to other countries. No one follows the Law anymore, and even her prophets no longer receive visions from the Lord.
Nʼapono amem fam; wɔn adaban nso, wabubu mu asɛe no. Ne ɔhene ne ne mmapɔmma, watwa wɔn asuo kɔ amanaman no mu, mmara nni hɔ bio, na nʼadiyifoɔ nnnya anisoadehunu a ɛfiri Awurade hɔ bio.
10 The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust over their heads and put on clothes made of sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed down, their heads to the ground.
Ɔbabaa Sion mpanimfoɔ tete fam ayɛ komm; wɔde mfuturo agu wɔn tirim afirafira ayitoma. Yerusalem mmabaawa asisi wɔn tiri ase.
11 My eyes are worn out from crying; inside I am in turmoil. I'm sick and exhausted over the destruction of Jerusalem, the daughter of my people, because children and infants are fainting in the city streets.
Mʼani rentumi nnyae nisuteɛ, me yafunu mu retwa me, mʼakoma rete atɔ fam, ɛfiri sɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mmɔfra ne mmotafowa totɔ piti wɔ kuropɔn no mmɔntene so.
12 They cry out to their mothers, “We need food and drink!” fainting in the city streets as if they're wounded, their lives fading away in their mothers' arms.
Wɔbisa wɔn maamenom sɛ, “Ɛhe na aduane ne nsã wɔ?” Ɛberɛ a wɔtotɔ piti sɛ apirafoɔ wɔ kuropɔn no mmɔntene so, ɛberɛ a wɔn nkwa resa wɔ wɔn maamenom abasa so.
13 What can I tell you? What shall I compare you to, Daughter of Jerusalem? What can I say you're like in order to comfort you, virgin Daughter of Zion? For your wound gapes as wide as the sea—who could ever heal you?
Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi aka ama woɔ? Ɛdeɛn ho na mɛtumi de wo atoto, Ao, Yerusalem Ɔbabaa? Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi de asusu woɔ, de akyekyere wo werɛ, Ao, Sion Ɔbabaa Bunu? Wʼapirakuro so sɛ ɛpo. Hwan na ɔbɛtumi asa ama woɔ?
14 The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they didn't point out your guilt to prevent you being taken into captivity. Instead they presented to you visions that were false and deceptive.
Wʼadiyifoɔ anisoadehunu yɛ atorɔ a ɛho nni mfasoɔ; wɔanna mo amumuyɛ adi ansi mo nnommumfa ano. Nkɔmhyɛ a wɔde maa mo no yɛ atorɔ ne nnaadaa.
15 Everyone who passes by mock you, clapping their hands, hissing and shaking their heads in scorn at the Daughter of Jerusalem. “Is this really the city that people called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?” they ask.
Wɔn a wɔtwam wo ɛkwan soɔ nyinaa bobɔ wɔn nsam gu wo so; wɔdi wo ho fɛ na wɔwoso wɔn tiri gu Yerusalem Ɔbabaa so ka sɛ, “Yei ne kuropɔn a na wɔfrɛ no ahoɔfɛ a ɛdi mu no? Asase nyinaa anigyedeɛ no nie?”
16 All your enemies open their mouths at you, hissing and gnashing their teeth, “We've swallowed her up! This is the day we've been waiting for. Now it's here and we've seen it happen!”
Wʼatamfoɔ nyinaa baeɛ wɔn anom kakraa tia wo; wɔsere na wɔtwɛre wɔn se na wɔka sɛ, “Yɛamene no. Ɛda a na yɛretwɛn no nie; Yɛatena ase ahunu.”
17 The Lord has achieved what he decided; he has done what he warned he would. Just as he determined to do long ago, he has destroyed you, showing no mercy. He has allowed the enemy gloat over your defeat, and he has given power to those who attack you.
Awurade ayɛ deɛ ɔhyehyɛeɛ; wama nʼasɛm a ɔhyɛɛ dadaada no aba mu. Watu wo agu a wanhunu wo mmɔbɔ, wama ɔtamfoɔ no ani agye wama wʼatamfoɔ no mmɛn so.
18 The people cry out to the Lord from the bottom of their hearts. Daughter of Zion, let your walls stream down with tears like a river all day and night. Don't stop, go on crying!
Nnipa no akoma su frɛ Awurade. Ao, Sion Ɔbabaa fasuo, ma wo nisuo nsene sɛ asubɔnten awia ne anadwo; nnye wʼahome mma wʼani nso nnya ahomeɛ.
19 Get up and cry out as the night begins. Pour out your sad thoughts like water before the Lord. Hold up your hands to him in prayer for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger at every street corner.
Sɔre, su denden anadwo ɔdasuom mfitiaseɛ; hwie wʼakoma mu nsɛm sɛ nsuo gu Awurade anim. Ma wo nsa so kyerɛ no wo mma nkwa enti, wɔn a ɛkɔm ama wʼatotɔ baha wɔ mmɔntene so.
20 Lord, please think about it! Who have you ever treated this way? Should women have to eat their children, the little ones they love? Should priests and prophets be killed in the Lord's Temple?
“Hwɛ na dwene ho, Ao, Awurade: Hwan na wode no afa saa ɛkwan yi so pɛn? Ɛsɛ sɛ mmaa we wɔn yafunu mma nam anaa, mma a wɔahwɛ wɔn? Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum ɔsɔfoɔ ne odiyifoɔ wɔ Awurade kronkronbea anaa?
21 The dead, young and old, lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and young women, have been killed by the sword. You killed them when you were angry; you have slaughtered them without mercy.
“Mmɔfra ne mpanin adeda abɔ mu mfuturo mu wɔ mmɔntene so, me mmeranteɛ ne mmabaawa atotɔ wɔ akofena ano. Wakum wɔn wɔ wʼabufuo da; wayam wɔn na wannya ahummɔborɔ.
22 You invited enemies to attack me from every direction like you were inviting them to a religious festival. At the time when the Lord was angry nobody escaped, nobody survived. My enemy has destroyed the children I looked after and loved.
“Sɛdeɛ wotoo wo nsa frɛ wɔ apontoɔ da no, saa ara na wofrɛfrɛɛ amanehunu firi afanan nyinaa tiaa me. Awurade abufuo da no, obiara annwane na obiara anka: wɔn a mehwɛɛ wɔn na metetee wɔn no, me ɔtamfoɔ adwerɛ wɔn.”
