Lamentations 5
1 Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
Awurade, kae nea aba yɛn so; hwɛ, na hu yɛn animguase.
2 Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
Wɔadan yɛn agyapade ama ahɔho, wɔde yɛn afi ama ananafo.
3 [Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
Yɛayɛ nyisaa na yenni agyanom, yɛn nanom yɛ akunafo.
4 [Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔ nsu a yɛnom; yebenya nnyina a, gye sɛ yɛtɔ.
5 [It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
Wɔn a wɔtaa yɛn no abɛn yɛn pɛɛ; Yɛabrɛ na yennya ahomegye.
6 In order to get enough food [to remain alive], we went to Egypt and Assyria and offered to work [for the people there].
Yɛde yɛn ho maa Misraim ne Asiria sɛnea yebenya aduan a ɛbɛso yɛn.
7 Our ancestors sinned, and now they are dead, but we are being punished for the sins that they committed.
Yɛn agyanom yɛɛ bɔne, na wonni hɔ bio, na yɛn na wɔn asotwe abɛda yɛn so.
8 [Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
Nkoa di yɛn so, na obiara nni hɔ a obegye yɛn afi wɔn nsam.
9 When we roam around in the desert searching for food, we are in danger of being killed, because people there kill strangers with their swords.
Yɛde yɛn nkwa bɔ afɔre de pɛ yɛn anoduan, afoa a ɛwɔ sare so no nti.
10 Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
Yɛn honam adɔ sɛ fononoo. Ɔkɔm ama atiridii abɔ yɛn.
11 [Our enemies] have raped the women in Jerusalem, [and they have done that to] the young women in [all] the towns of Judea.
Wɔato mmea mmonnaa wɔ Sion, ne mmabun a wɔwɔ Yuda nkurow so.
12 [Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
Wɔkyekyere mmapɔmma nsa na wɔasɛn wɔn; wɔmmfa nidi mma mpanyimfo.
13 They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
Mmerante yɛ adwumaden wɔ awiyammo so; na mmerantewa nan toto wɔ nnyina duruduru ase.
14 [Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
Mpanyimfo ntena kuropɔn apon ano bio; mmerante agyae wɔn nnwonto.
15 We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
Ahosɛpɛw afi yɛn koma mu; yɛn asaw adan agyaadwotwa.
16 The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
Ahenkyɛw afi yɛn ti so. Yɛn ara, yennue sɛ yɛayɛ bɔne!
17 We [SYN] are tired and discouraged [IDM], and we cannot see well because our eyes are [full of tears].
Eyi nti yɛn koma atɔ beraw, eyinom nti yɛn ani so ayɛ kusuu
18 Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
wɔ Sion bepɔw a ada mpan na sakraman nenam so no nti.
19 But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
Wo, Awurade, di hene afebɔɔ; wʼahengua fi awo ntoatoaso kosi awo ntoatoaso.
20 [So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
Adɛn nti na wo werɛ fi yɛn daa yi? Adɛn nti na wagyaw yɛn, mmere tenten mu yi?
21 [Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
Ka yɛn bata wo ho bio, Awurade, na yɛatumi asan aba wo nkyɛn; yɛ yɛn nna foforo sɛ tete no
22 Please do that, because we hope that [RHQ] you have not rejected us forever and that [RHQ] you do not continue to be extremely angry with us!
gye sɛ woapo yɛn koraa anaasɛ wo bo afuw yɛn mmoroso.
