Lamentations 2
1 Yahweh was extremely angry [with us]; as a result, [it was as though] [MET] he covered Jerusalem with a dark cloud. Previously it was a beautiful/glorious city, but he has caused it to become a ruins. At the time he punished [MET] Israel, he [even] abandoned his temple [MET] [in Jerusalem].
Sɛnea Awurade de nʼabufuwhyew mununkum akata Ɔbabea Sion so ni? Watow Israel anuonyam afi ɔsoro abɛhwe fam; wankae ne nan ntiaso wɔ nʼabufuw da no.
2 Yahweh destroyed the homes of [the people of] [PRS] Judah; he did not act mercifully. Because he was very angry, he broke down the fortresses of Judah. He has caused our kingdom and our rulers to become disgraced, and he has gotten rid of them.
Awurade annya ahummɔbɔ na wamene Yakob atenae nyinaa; nʼabufuwhyew mu, wadwiriw Yuda Babea abandennen no agu fam. Wagu nʼahenni ne ne mmapɔmma ho fi.
3 Because he was extremely angry, he has caused Israel to not be powerful [MET] any more. He has refused to assist us when our enemies attacked us. He has destroyed Israel like [SIM] a raging fire destroys everything.
Ɔde abufuwhyew atwitwa Israel mmɛn nyinaa. Wayi ne bammɔ wɔ bere a atamfo no reba. Wasɔ wɔ Yakob mu sɛ ogyatannaa a ɛhyew biribiara a atwa ho ahyia.
4 He bent his bow [to prepare to shoot us, his people], as though we were his enemies. He [prepared to] kill the people whom we love the most [MET], members of our own families. He is extremely angry [MTY] with us people of Jerusalem; his anger is like [SIM] a fire.
Wapema ne bɛmma sɛ ɔtamfo; ne nsa nifa ayɛ krado. Te sɛ ɔtamfo no, wakunkum wɔn a wɔyɛ fɛ wɔ ani so nyinaa; wahwie nʼabufuwhyew sɛ ogya agu Ɔbabea Sion ntamadan so.
5 Yahweh has become like an enemy to [us] Israelis; he has destroyed our palaces and caused our fortresses to become ruins. He has gotten rid of many people in Jerusalem, and caused us to mourn and weep [for those who were killed].
Awurade ayɛ sɛ ɔtamfo; wamene Israel. Wamene nʼahemfi nyinaa asɛe nʼabandennen. Wama awerɛhowdi ne agyaadwotwa adɔɔso ama Yuda Babea.
6 He has caused his temple to be smashed [as easily] as [SIM] if it was a shelter in a garden. He has caused [us, his people], to forget all our sacred festivals and Sabbath days. He has caused [our] kings and priests to be rejected because he was extremely angry with them.
Wama nʼatenae ada mpan sɛ turo; wasɛe nʼaguabɔbea. Awurade ama Sion werɛ afi nʼafahyɛ ne homenna; nʼabufuwhyew mu no wabu ɔhene ne ɔsɔfo animtiaa.
7 Yahweh has rejected his own altar and abandoned his temple. He has allowed [our] enemies to tear down the walls of [our temple and] our palaces. They shout [victoriously] in the temple of Yahweh, like we [previously shouted] during our sacred festivals.
Awurade apo nʼafɔremuka na wagyaa ne kronkronbea mu. Ɔde nʼahemfi afasu ahyɛ nʼatamfo nsa. Wɔteɛ mu wɔ Awurade fi te sɛ afahyɛ da.
8 Yahweh was determined to cause the walls of our city [MTY] to be torn down. [It was as though] he measured the walls and [then he completely] destroyed [MTY] them. [It was as though] he caused the towers and walls to lament/weep, [because they were now ruins].
Awurade sii nʼadwene pi sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Ɔbabea Sion fasu a atwa ne ho ahyia no. Ɔde susuhama too ho na wannyae ɔsɛe no. Ɔmaa pie ne afasu dii abooboo; wɔn nyinaa sɛee.
9 The city gates have collapsed; the bars that fastened the gates shut have been smashed. The king and his officials have [been forced to] go to other countries. No longer does anyone teach the people the laws [that God gave to Moses]. The prophets do not receive any visions [because] Yahweh does not give them any.
Nʼapon amem fam; wɔn adaban nso, wabubu mu asɛe no. Ne hene ne ne mmapɔmma, watwa wɔn asu kɔ amanaman no mu, mmara nni hɔ bio, na nʼadiyifo nnya anisoadehu a efi Awurade hɔ bio.
10 The old men of Jerusalem [MTY] sit on the ground, and they say nothing. They wear rough sackcloth and throw dust on their heads [to show that they are sad]. The young girls of Jerusalem bow down [sorrowfully], their faces touching the ground.
Ɔbabea Sion mpanyimfo tete fam ayɛ komm; wɔde mfutuma agu wɔn tirim afurafura atweaatam. Yerusalem mmabaa asisi wɔn ti ase.
11 My eyes are very tired because of my tears; I am very grieved in my soul. Because [very many of] my people have been killed, I grieve and am exhausted. [Even] children and babies are fainting [and dying] in the streets [because they have no food].
Mʼani rentumi nnyae nisutew, me yafunu mu retwa me, me koma retew atɔ fam, efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo, efisɛ mmofra ne mmotafowa totɔ piti wɔ kuropɔn no mmɔnten so.
12 They cry out to their mothers, “We need [RHQ] something to eat and drink!” They faint like wounded men in the streets of the city. They slowly die in the arms of their mothers.
Wobisa wɔn nanom se, “Ɛhe na brodo ne nsa wɔ?” Bere a wɔtotɔ beraw sɛ apirafo wɔ kuropɔn no mmɔnten so, bere a wɔn nkwa resa wɔ wɔn nanom abasa so.
13 You people of Jerusalem [MTY, DOU], (what can I/there is nothing that I can) say [to help you]. No people have [RHQ] suffered like you are suffering; I do not know what I can do to comfort you. The disaster [MET] that you have experienced is as great as the ocean is deep; there is no one [RHQ] who can restore your [city].
Asɛm bɛn na metumi aka ama wo? Dɛn ho na metumi de wo atoto, Ɔbabea Yerusalem? Dɛn na metumi de asusuw wo, de akyekye wo werɛ, Sion Babea Ɔbabun? Wʼapirakuru so sɛ po. Hena na obetumi asa wo yare?
14 The prophets among you claimed that they had seen visions [from Yahweh], but what they said was false and worthless. They did not save you from being (exiled/forced to go to other countries), because they did not proclaim that you had sinned. Instead, the messages that they gave you deceived you [because] they were not true.
Wʼadiyifo anisoadehu yɛ atoro a so nni mfaso; wɔanna mo amumɔyɛ adi ansiw mo nnommumfa ano. Nkɔmhyɛ a wɔde maa mo no yɛ atoro ne nnaadaa.
15 All those who pass by you make fun of [IDM] you; they shake their heads and they hiss/sneer at you. [They say], “Is this that great city of Jerusalem? Is it the city that was the most beautiful city in the world, the city that caused all [the people on] the earth to be joyful?”
Wɔn a wotwa mu wo kwan so nyinaa bobɔ wɔn nsam gu wo so; wodi wo ho fɛw na wɔwosow wɔn ti gu Yerusalem Babea so ka se, “Eyi ne kuropɔn a na wɔfrɛ no ahoɔfɛ a edi mu no? Asase nyinaa anigyede no ni?”
16 [Now] all our enemies scoff [IDM] at you; they hiss/sneer [at you] and gnash their teeth [to show that they hate you]. They say, “We have destroyed them! This is what we longed/waited for, and now it has happened!”
Wʼatamfo nyinaa baa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ tia wo; wɔserew na wɔtwɛre wɔn se na wɔka se, “Yɛamene no. Da a na yɛretwɛn no ni; Yɛatena ase ahu.”
17 Yahweh has done what he planned; long ago he threatened to destroy you, and [now] he has done it. He has destroyed [your city] without acting mercifully [toward you]; he has enabled your enemies to he happy about defeating you; he has enabled your enemies to [continually] become stronger.
Awurade ayɛ nea ɔhyehyɛe; wama nʼasɛm a ɔhyɛɛ dedaada no aba mu. Watu wo agu a wanhu wo mmɔbɔ, wama ɔtamfo no ani agye wama wʼatamfo no mmɛn so.
18 I wish/desire that the walls of Jerusalem [APO] would cry out to Yahweh! You people of Jerusalem [MET], Cry day and night! Let your tears flow like rivers. Do not stop grieving; do not stop crying.
Nnipa no koma su frɛ Awurade. Ɔbabea Sion afasu, momma mo nusu nsen sɛ asubɔnten awia ne anadwo; munnye mo ahome momma mo ani nso nnya ɔhome.
19 Get up [every] night and cry out; tell Yahweh what you are feeling. Raise your arms to plead to him to act mercifully to prevent our children from dying; they are fainting on the street corners because they have no food to eat.
Sɔre, su dennen anadwo, ɔdasu mu mfiase; hwie wo koma mu nsɛm sɛ nsu gu Awurade anim. Ma wo nsa so kyerɛ no wo mma nkwa nti, wɔn a ɔkɔm ama wɔatotɔ beraw wɔ mmɔnten so.
20 Yahweh, look, and think [about it]! Have you ever [RHQ] caused people to suffer like this before? [It is certainly not right that] [RHQ] women are eating the flesh of their own children, the children whom they have always taken care of! [It is not right that] [RHQ] priests and prophets are being killed in your own temple!
“Hwɛ na dwene ho, Awurade: Hena na wode no afa saa ɔkwan yi so pɛn? Ɛsɛ sɛ mmea we wɔn yafunumma nam ana, mma a wɔahwɛ wɔn? Ɛsɛ sɛ wokunkum ɔsɔfo ne odiyifo wɔ Awurade kronkronbea ana?
21 [The corpses of] people of all ages lie in the streets; [there are even corpses of] young men and young women who have been killed by [our enemies’] swords. Because you were very angry, you caused them to be killed; you have slaughtered them without pitying them [at all].
“Mmofra ne mpanyin da adabum wɔ mmɔnten so mfutuma mu so, me mmerante ne mmabaa atotɔ wɔ afoa ano. Woakum wɔn wɔ wʼabufuwda; woayam wɔn na woannya ahummɔbɔ.
22 You summoned our enemies to attack us from every direction, as though you were calling/inviting them to come to a feast. At that time when [you showed that] you were very angry, no one escaped. Our enemies murdered [our little children, ] ones whom we took care of and reared/brought up.
“Sɛnea wotoo wo nsa frɛ wɔ aponto da no, saa ara na wofrɛfrɛɛ amanehunu fii afanan nyinaa tiaa me. Awurade abufuw da no, obiara anguan na anka obiara: wɔn a mehwɛɛ wɔn na metetew wɔn no, me tamfo adwerɛw wɔn.”
