Kwadwom 2
1 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.
How the Lord has spread a cloud of his anger over the Daughter of Zion! He has thrown down Israel's glory from heaven to earth. He has deserted his Temple from the time he became angry.
2 Awurade annya ahummɔbɔ na wamene Yakob atenae nyinaa; nʼabufuwhyew mu, wadwiriw Yuda Babea abandennen no agu fam. Wagu nʼahenni ne ne mmapɔmma ho fi.
The Lord has destroyed without mercy all the places where the descendants of Jacob lived. In his anger he has torn down the fortresses of the Daughter of Judah. He has demolished and degraded the kingdom and its leaders.
3 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.
In his fury he has destroyed all of Israel's power, refusing to help as the enemy attacked. He was like a fire blazing in the land of Jacob, burning everything up.
4 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.
He has fired arrows from his bow as if he were their enemy; he has used his power against them like an attacker. He has killed all the beloved children; he has poured out his anger like fire on the tent of the Daughter of Zion.
5 Awurade ayɛ sɛ ɔtamfo; wamene Israel. Wamene nʼahemfi nyinaa asɛe nʼabandennen. Wama awerɛhowdi ne agyaadwotwa adɔɔso ama Yuda Babea.
The Lord has become like an enemy, completely destroying Israel and its palaces, demolishing its fortresses, making the Daughter of Judah cry and mourn more and more.
6 Wama nʼatenae ada mpan sɛ turo; wasɛe nʼaguabɔbea. Awurade ama Sion werɛ afi nʼafahyɛ ne homenna; nʼabufuwhyew mu no wabu ɔhene ne ɔsɔfo animtiaa.
He has torn down his Temple as if was a garden shed; he has destroyed his meeting place. The Lord has made Zion forget about her religious festivals and Sabbaths. In his fury he has disowned both king and priest.
7 Awurade apo nʼafɔremuka na wagyaa ne kronkronbea mu. Ɔde nʼahemfi afasu ahyɛ nʼatamfo nsa. Wɔteɛ mu wɔ Awurade fi te sɛ afahyɛ da.
The Lord has discarded his altar; he has abandoned his Temple. He has handed it over to the enemy. They were shouting triumphantly in the Lord's Temple just as worshipers did on festival days.
8 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.
The Lord was determined to destroy the defensive walls of the Daughter of Zion. He measured out what he would destroy, and didn't hesitate to do it. He made the battlements and walls weep; they both disintegrated.
9 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.
Her gates have collapsed to the ground; he has destroyed their bars, breaking them apart. Her king and her princes have been exiled to other countries. No one follows the Law anymore, and even her prophets no longer receive visions from the Lord.
10 Ɔbabea Sion mpanyimfo tete fam ayɛ komm; wɔde mfutuma agu wɔn tirim afurafura atweaatam. Yerusalem mmabaa asisi wɔn ti ase.
The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust over their heads and put on clothes made of sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed down, their heads to the ground.
11 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.
My eyes are worn out from crying; inside I am in turmoil. I'm sick and exhausted over the destruction of Jerusalem, the daughter of my people, because children and infants are fainting in the city streets.
12 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.
They cry out to their mothers, “We need food and drink!” fainting in the city streets as if they're wounded, their lives fading away in their mothers' arms.
13 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?
What can I tell you? What shall I compare you to, Daughter of Jerusalem? What can I say you're like in order to comfort you, virgin Daughter of Zion? For your wound gapes as wide as the sea—who could ever heal you?
14 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.
The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they didn't point out your guilt to prevent you being taken into captivity. Instead they presented to you visions that were false and deceptive.
15 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?”
Everyone who passes by mock you, clapping their hands, hissing and shaking their heads in scorn at the Daughter of Jerusalem. “Is this really the city that people called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?” they ask.
16 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.”
All your enemies open their mouths at you, hissing and gnashing their teeth, “We've swallowed her up! This is the day we've been waiting for. Now it's here and we've seen it happen!”
17 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.
The Lord has achieved what he decided; he has done what he warned he would. Just as he determined to do long ago, he has destroyed you, showing no mercy. He has allowed the enemy gloat over your defeat, and he has given power to those who attack you.
18 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.
The people cry out to the Lord from the bottom of their hearts. Daughter of Zion, let your walls stream down with tears like a river all day and night. Don't stop, go on crying!
19 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.
Get up and cry out as the night begins. Pour out your sad thoughts like water before the Lord. Hold up your hands to him in prayer for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger at every street corner.
20 “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?
Lord, please think about it! Who have you ever treated this way? Should women have to eat their children, the little ones they love? Should priests and prophets be killed in the Lord's Temple?
21 “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.
The dead, young and old, lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and young women, have been killed by the sword. You killed them when you were angry; you have slaughtered them without mercy.
22 “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.”
You invited enemies to attack me from every direction like you were inviting them to a religious festival. At the time when the Lord was angry nobody escaped, nobody survived. My enemy has destroyed the children I looked after and loved.
