Lamentations 4
1 How is dimmed the gold! changed the most fine gold! Poured out are the stones of the sanctuary, at the top of all the streets.
Hwɛ sɛnea sikakɔkɔɔ ayera ne hyerɛn no ni Sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa na ho abiri saa! Wɔatoto aboɔdemmo kronkron apete wɔ abɔnten biara so.
2 The precious sons of Zion, they who were weighed against pure gold, How are they accounted as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Hwɛ sɛnea Sion mmabarima a wodi mu na anka wɔsom bo sɛ sikakɔkɔɔ no ayɛ, mprempren wɔfa wɔn sɛ dɔte nkuku, ɔnwemfo nsa ano adwuma!
3 Even wild dogs, draw out the breast, give suck to their whelps—The daughter of my people, hath become cruel, like the ostriches in the desert.
Mpo adompo yi wɔn nufu ma wɔn mma num, nanso me nkurɔfo ayɛ atirimɔdenfo sɛ sohori a ɔwɔ sare so.
4 The tongue of the suckling, cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst, —Young children, have asked bread, there was none, to break, it to them.
Osukɔm nti, akokoaa tɛkrɛma fam ne dodo mu; mmofra no srɛ aduan, nanso obiara mfa mma wɔn.
5 They who used to eat delicacies, are deserted in the streets, —They who used to be carried on crimson, have embraced heaps of refuse.
Wɔn a na anka wodi nnuan pa no ohia buruburoo aka wɔn wɔ mmɔnten so. Wɔn a wɔde sirikyi tetew wɔn no mprempren wɔdeda nso a wɔaboa ano so.
6 And the punishment of the daughter of my people hath grown greater than the punishment of Sodom, —which was overthrown as in a moment, when no hands had been laid violently upon her.
Me nkurɔfo asotwe so sen Sodom a wotuu wɔn mpofirim no, a wɔannya ɔboafo biara de.
7 Purer were her Nazirites than snow, whiter were they than milk, —more ruddy, in body, than coral, A sapphire, was their beauty of form.
Na wɔn ahenemma ho twa sen sukyerɛmma, na wɔnan sen nufusu, na wɔn nipadua no bere, na ɛwɔ ahoɔden te sɛ abohemaa, na wɔte sɛ hoabo.
8 Darker than a coal, is their visage, They are not known in the streets—Their skin shrivelleth on their bones, is withered, become like a stick.
Nanso mprempren de, wobiri sen wusiw bɔtɔ; na wonhu wɔn yiye wɔ mmɔnten so. Wɔn were atwintwam wɔ wɔn nnompe so; ho awo wosee sɛ abaa.
9 Better are the slain of the sword, than the slain of the famine, —for, these, pine away, stricken through, wanting the produce of the field.
Wɔn a wɔtotɔɔ wɔ afoa ano no ye koraa sen wɔn a ɔkɔm kunkum wɔn; ɔkɔm tware wɔn ma wowuwu, esiane aduan a enni mfuw so nti.
10 The hands of compassionate women, have cooked their own children, —they have served as nourishment to them, in the grievous injury of the daughter of my people.
Mmea a wɔwɔ ayamhyehye de wɔn nsa anoa wɔn ankasa mma, ayɛ wɔn aduan, bere a wɔsɛee me nkurɔfo no.
11 Yahweh hath completed his indignation, hath poured out the glow of his anger; and hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured her foundations.
Awurade ada nʼabufuwhyew nyinaa adi; wahwie nʼabufuw a ano yɛ den no. Ɔsɔɔ ogya ano wɔ Sion ma ɛhyew ne fapem.
12 Neither the kings of the earth, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, believed, that an adversary or an enemy, should enter, the gates of Jerusalem!
Asase so ahemfo annye anni, wiase mu nnipa nso annye anni sɛ atamfo betumi ahyɛn Yerusalem apon mu.
13 [It is] for the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, —who have been pouring out, in her midst, the blood of the righteous!
Nanso esii, nʼadiyifo no bɔne ne nʼasɔfo amumɔyɛ nti, wɔn na wohwiee atreneefo mogya guu wɔ kuropɔn no mu.
14 They have wandered—blind—in the streets, have defiled themselves with blood; so that men may not touch their garments.
Afei wɔkeka wɔ mmɔnten so te sɛ nnipa a wɔn ani afura. Mogya a ama wɔn ho agu fi no nti obiara suro sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛka wɔn ntade.
15 Turn aside! Unclean! have they cried to them, Turn aside! Turn aside! Do not touch! because they have fled, yea, wandered, Men said among the nations, They will not again tarry;
Nnipa teɛteɛɛ mu gu wɔn so se, “Mumfi ha nkɔ! Mo ho ntew!” “Monkɔ, monkɔ! Mommfa mo ho nka yɛn.” Sɛ woguan kɔnenam a amanaman no mu nnipa ka se, “Wɔrentumi ntena ha bio.”
16 The face of Yahweh, hath scattered them, He will look them out no more: The persons of the priests, they have not respected, To the elders, have they shown no favour.
Awurade ankasa abɔ wɔn ahwete; nʼani nni wɔn so bio. Wɔmmfa nidi mma asɔfo, na wɔn ani nsɔ mpanyimfo.
17 Silly shall our eyes fail, for our help that is vain: In our watchtower, have we watched—for a nation that will not save.
Nea ɛka ho bio, yɛn ani anni ammoa yɛn, yɛpɛɛ sɛ yebenya mmoa, nanso ɛyɛɛ ɔkwa; yefi yɛn abantenten so de yɛn ani too ɔman a wɔrentumi nnye yɛn so.
18 They have laid snares for our steps, that we cannot walk in our own broadways: Drawn near hath our end, Fulfilled are our days, yea arrived hath our end.
Nnipa dii yɛn ntɛntɛnso wɔ yɛn anammɔntu mu, enti yɛantumi annantew yɛn mmɔnten so. Yɛn awiei bɛnee, na wɔkan yɛn nna, efisɛ na yɛn awiei adu so.
19 Swifter are our pursuers, than the eagles of the heavens, —Over the mountains, have they come hotly after us, In the wilderness, have they lain in wait for us.
Yɛn ataafo ho yɛ hare sen akɔre a wɔwɔ wim; wɔtaa yɛn faa mmepɔw so na wɔtɛw yɛn wɔ sare so.
20 The fragrance of our nostrils, The Anointed of Yahweh, hath been captured in their pits, —of whom we had said—In his shade, shall we live among the nations.
Nea Awurade asra no ngo, yɛn nkwa home ankasa no, kɔtɔɔ wɔn mfiri mu. Yegye dii sɛ ne nwini ase, yebenya nkwa wɔ amanaman no mu.
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, thou inhabitress in the and of Uz, —Even unto thee, shall the cup pass along, thou shalt be drunken, and expose thy shame.
Di ahurusi na ma wʼani nnye, Edom Babea, wo a wote Us asase so. Wɔde kuruwa no bɛma wo nso bi; wobɛbow na wɔabɔ wo adagyaw.
22 Completed is thy punishment, O daughter of Zion, He will no more carry thee away captive—He hath punished thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he hath stripped the veil from off thy sins.
Ɔbabea Sion, wʼasotwe bɛba awiei; ɔremma wo nkɔ so ntena nnommum mu. Nanso Ɔbabea Edom, obetua wo bɔne so ka na wada wʼamumɔyɛ adi.
