< Lamentations 4 >
1 [ALEPH-BET] How the gold has become dim, Changed the best—the pure gold! Stones of the sanctuary are poured out At the head of all out-places.
Sɛdeɛ sikakɔkɔɔ a anka ɛhyerɛn no nie? Sikakɔkɔɔ amapa no ho abiri! Wɔatoto aboɔdemmoɔ kronkron apete wɔ mmɔntene biara so.
2 The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How they have been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter.
Hwɛ sɛdeɛ Sion mmammarima a wɔdi mu na anka wɔsom bo sɛ sika kɔkɔɔ no ayɛ, seesei wɔfa wɔn sɛ dɔteɛ nkukuo, ɔnwomfoɔ nsa ano adwuma!
3 Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people has become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.
Mpo sakraman yi wɔn nufoɔ ma wɔn mma enum, nanso me nkurɔfoɔ ayɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ sɛ sohori a ɔwɔ ɛserɛ so.
4 The tongue of a suckling has cleaved to his palate with thirst, Infants asked for bread, they have no dealer [of it] out.
Osukɔm enti, akokoaa tɛkrɛma fam ne dodo mu; mmɔfra no su pɛ aduane, nanso obiara mfa mma wɔn.
5 Those eating of delicacies have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.
Wɔn a na anka wɔdi nnuane pa no ohia buruburo aka wɔn wɔ mmɔntene so. Wɔn a wɔde serekye tetee wɔn no seesei wɔdeda nso nkɔfie so.
6 And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed on her.
Me nkurɔfoɔ asotwe so sene Sodom a wɔtuu wɔn mpofirim no deɛ, a wɔannya ɔboafoɔ biara no.
7 Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.
Na wɔn ahenemma ho twa sene sukyerɛmma, na wɔhoa sene nufosuo, na wɔn onipadua no bere na ɛwɔ ahoɔden te sɛ abohemaa, na wɔte sɛ aboɔdemmoɔ.
8 Their face has been darker than blackness, They have not been known in out-places, Their skin has cleaved to their bone, It has withered—it has been as wood.
Nanso, seesei deɛ, wɔbiri sene wisiapunu; na wɔnhunu wɔn yie wɔ mmɔntene so. Wɔn wedeɛ atwintwam wɔ wɔn nnompe so; ɛho awo wesee sɛ abaa.
9 Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field.
Wɔn a wɔtotɔ wɔ akofena ano no yɛ koraa sene wɔn a ɛkɔm kunkumm wɔn; ɛkɔm tware wɔn, ma wɔwuwu ɛsiane aduane a ɛnni mfuo so enti.
10 The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Mmaa a wɔwɔ ayamhyehyeɛ de wɔn nsa anoa wɔn ankasa mma, ayɛ wɔn aduane ɛberɛ a wɔsɛee me nkurɔfoɔ no.
11 YHWH has completed His fury, He has poured out the fierceness of His anger, And He kindles a fire in Zion, And it devours her foundations.
Awurade ada nʼabufuhyeɛ nyinaa adi; wahwie nʼabufuo a ano yɛ den no. Ɔsɔɔ ogya ano wɔ Sion ma ɛhyee ne fapem.
12 The kings of earth did not believe, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That an adversary and enemy would come Into the gates of Jerusalem.
Asase so ahemfo annye anni, ewiase mu nnipa nso annye anni sɛ atamfoɔ bɛtumi ahyɛne Yerusalem apono mu.
13 Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,
Nanso ɛsiiɛ, nʼadiyifoɔ no bɔne ne nʼasɔfoɔ amumuyɛ enti, wɔn na wɔhwiee teneneefoɔ mogya guu wɔ kuropɔn no mu.
14 They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been defiled with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,
Afei wɔkeka wɔ mmɔntene so te sɛ nnipa a wɔn ani afira. Mogya a ama wɔn ho agu fi no enti obiara suro sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛka wɔn ntadeɛ.
15 “Turn aside—unclean,” they called to them, “Turn aside, turn aside, do not touch,” For they fled—indeed, they have wandered, They have said among nations: “They do not add to sojourn.”
Nnipa teateaam gu wɔn so sɛ, “Momfiri ha nkɔ! Mo ho nnte! Monkɔ, monkɔ! Mommfa mo ho nka yɛn.” Sɛ wɔdwane kɔnenam a amanaman no mu nnipa ka sɛ, “Wɔrentumi ntena ha bio.”
16 The face of YHWH has divided them, He does not add to behold them, They have not lifted up the face of priests, They have not favored [the] old and elderly.
Awurade ankasa abɔ wɔn ahwete; nʼani nni wɔn so bio. Wɔmmfa anidie mma asɔfoɔ, na wɔn ani nnsɔ mpanimfoɔ.
17 While we exist—consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watchtower we have watched for a nation [that] does not save.
Deɛ ɛka ho bio, yɛn ani anni ammoa yɛn, yɛpɛɛ sɛ yɛbɛnya mmoa, nanso ɛyɛɛ ɔkwa; yɛfiri yɛn abantenten so de yɛn ani too ɔman a wɔrentumi nnye yɛn so.
18 They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near has been our end, fulfilled our days, For our end has come.
Nnipa dii yɛn ntɛntɛ wɔ yɛn anammɔntuo mu, enti yɛantumi annante yɛn mmɔntene so. Yɛn awieeɛ bɛneeɛ, na wɔkanee yɛn nna, ɛfiri sɛ na yɛn awieeɛ aduru so.
19 Swifter have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned [after] us, In the wilderness they have laid wait for us.
Yɛn ataafoɔ ho yɛ hare sene akɔdeɛ a wɔwɔ ewiem; wɔtaa yɛn faa mmepɔ so na wɔtɛɛ yɛn wɔ ɛserɛ so.
20 The breath of our nostrils—the anointed of YHWH, Has been captured in their pits, of whom we said: “We live among nations in his shadow.”
Deɛ Awurade asra no ngo, yɛn ankasa yɛn nkwa no, ɔtɔɔ wɔn mfidie mu. Yɛgye dii sɛ ne nwunu ase yɛbɛnya nkwa wɔ amanaman no mu.
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even to you a cup passes over, You are drunk, and make yourself naked.
Di ahurisie na ma wʼani nnye, Ao Edom Ɔbabaa, wo a wote Us asase so. Wɔde kuruwa no bɛma wo nso bi; wobɛboro na wɔabɔ wo adagya.
22 Completed [is] your iniquity, daughter of Zion, He does not add to remove you, He has inspected your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He has removed [you] because of your sins!
Ao Ɔbabaa Sion, wʼasotwe bɛba awieeɛ; ɔremma wonkɔ so ntena nnommumfa mu. Nanso, Ao Ɔbabaa Edom, ɔbɛtua wo bɔne so ka na wada wʼamumuyɛ adi.