Lamentations 3
1 I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
Mene ɔbarima a mahu amane wɔ nʼabufuw abaa ano.
2 [It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
Wapam me afi ne ho ama manantew sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
3 He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, da mu nyinaa.
4 He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
Wama me were ne me nam anyin Na wabubu me nnompe.
5 He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
Waka me ahyɛ mu, na watua me ano ɔde nweenwen ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
6 [It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
Wama matena sum mu sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dedaw no.
7 [It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
Wato ɔfasu atwa me ho ahyia enti mintumi nguan; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ beraw.
8 Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpae srɛ mmoa a osiw me mpaebɔ ano.
9 [It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
Ɔde abotan asiw me kwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
10 He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛw,
11 [It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
ɔtwee me fii ɔkwan no mu bebaree me na ogyaw me a minni mmoa biara.
12 [It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
Okuntun ne ta mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
13 [It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
Ɔde bɛmma a efi ne kotoku mu hwirew me koma mu.
14 All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
Meyɛɛ akyiwade maa me nkurɔfo nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw da mu nyinaa.
15 He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
Ɔde nhaban nweenwen ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
16 [It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
Ɔde mmosea abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfutuma mu.
17 Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
Wɔama asomdwoe abɔ me; na me werɛ afi yiyedi.
18 I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
Enti mise, “Mʼanuonyam asa, nea mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
19 When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyinakyinkyin mu, nweenwen ne bɔnwoma mu.
20 I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
Mekae yiye, na me kra abotow wɔ me mu.
21 However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
Nanso midwen eyi ho; saa nti mewɔ anidaso.
22 Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
Awurade dɔ kɛse nti yɛnsɛee ɛ. Nʼayamhyehye nni huammɔ.
23 [He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
Ɛyɛ foforo anɔpa biara; wo nokwaredi yɛ kɛse.
24 [So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
Meka kyerɛ me ho se, “Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
25 Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
Awurade ye ma wɔn a wɔn anidaso wɔ ne mu, onipa a ɔhwehwɛ no no;
26 [So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
Eye sɛ wɔyɛ komm de twɛn Awurade nkwagye.
27 And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
Eye ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa konnua no wɔ ne mmerantebere mu.
28 Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
Ma ɔntena ase komm, efisɛ Awurade de ato ne so.
29 They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfutuma mu, ebia anidaso wɔ hɔ.
30 If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma nea ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwu.
31 Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
Na Awurade ntow onipa biara nkyene koraa.
32 Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde awerɛhow ba de, nanso obenya ayamhyehye. Ne dɔ kɛse no to rentwa da.
33 And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
Ofi amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhow brɛ nnipa mma.
34 If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛw nneduafo a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
35 or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
sɛ wotiatia obi ahofadi so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
36 or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
anaa sɛ wobu obi ntɛnkyew a, Awurade renhu saa nneɛma yi ana?
37 No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
Hena na obetumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ bere a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛe?
38 God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na mmusu ne nnepa fi ana?
39 [So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefo nwiinwii bere a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
40 Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
41 We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
Momma yɛmma yɛn koma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka se:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
“Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛatew atua na wamfa ankyɛ.
43 You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
“Wode abufuw akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na woakunkum a woannya ahummɔbɔ.
44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu nti mpaebɔ biara nnu wo nkyɛn.
45 You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
Woayɛ yɛn atantanne ne nwura wɔ amanaman no mu.
46 All our enemies have insulted us.
“Yɛn atamfo nyinaa abaa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
47 We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhwease, mmubui ne ɔsɛe.”
48 I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
Me nusu sen sɛ asuten efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo.
49 My tears continually flow; they will not stop
Me nusu bɛsen ara, na ɛrennyae,
50 until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
kosi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afi ɔsoro, na wahu.
51 I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
Nea mihu no ma me kra werɛ how, me kuropɔn no mu mmea nyinaa nti.
52 Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
Mʼatamfo a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
53 They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wotwa me nkwa so na wosiw me abo wɔ amoa mu;
54 The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
nsu bu faa me ti so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛnea wɔrewie me.
55 But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
Mebɔɔ wo din, Awurade fii amoa no ase tɔnn.
56 I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsiw wʼaso wɔ me gye sufrɛ ho.”
57 Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
Wutwiw bɛn me bere a mefrɛɛ wo no, na wokae se, “Nsuro.”
58 Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
Wo Awurade, wudii mʼasɛm maa me; na wugyee me nkwa.
59 [Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
Woahu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
60 You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
Woahu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
61 Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
Awurade, woate wɔn ntwirii, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
62 Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
nea mʼatamfo ka no asomsɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
63 Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ anaasɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
64 Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
Fa nea ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Awurade, nea wɔn nsa ayɛ nti.
65 Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
Pirim wɔn koma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
66 Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
Fa abufuw taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn fi Awurade ɔsorosoro ase.
