Kwadwom 3
1 Mene ɔbarima a mahu amane wɔ nʼabufuw abaa ano.
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.
2 Wapam me afi ne ho ama manantew sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
3 Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, da mu nyinaa.
Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long.
4 Wama me were ne me nam anyin Na wabubu me nnompe.
He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.
5 Waka me ahyɛ mu, na watua me ano ɔde nweenwen ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 Wama matena sum mu sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dedaw no.
He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
7 Wato ɔfasu atwa me ho ahyia enti mintumi nguan; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ beraw.
He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
8 Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpae srɛ mmoa a osiw me mpaebɔ ano.
Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer.
9 Ɔde abotan asiw me kwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked.
10 Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛw,
He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
11 ɔtwee me fii ɔkwan no mu bebaree me na ogyaw me a minni mmoa biara.
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
12 Okuntun ne ta mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.
13 Ɔde bɛmma a efi ne kotoku mu hwirew me koma mu.
He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.
14 Meyɛɛ akyiwade maa me nkurɔfo nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw da mu nyinaa.
I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
15 Ɔde nhaban nweenwen ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
16 Ɔde mmosea abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfutuma mu.
He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.
17 Wɔama asomdwoe abɔ me; na me werɛ afi yiyedi.
My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 Enti mise, “Mʼanuonyam asa, nea mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”
19 Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyinakyinkyin mu, nweenwen ne bɔnwoma mu.
Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
20 Mekae yiye, na me kra abotow wɔ me mu.
Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me.
21 Nanso midwen eyi ho; saa nti mewɔ anidaso.
Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 Awurade dɔ kɛse nti yɛnsɛee ɛ. Nʼayamhyehye nni huammɔ.
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
23 Ɛyɛ foforo anɔpa biara; wo nokwaredi yɛ kɛse.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
24 Meka kyerɛ me ho se, “Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
25 Awurade ye ma wɔn a wɔn anidaso wɔ ne mu, onipa a ɔhwehwɛ no no;
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
26 Eye sɛ wɔyɛ komm de twɛn Awurade nkwagye.
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 Eye ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa konnua no wɔ ne mmerantebere mu.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
28 Ma ɔntena ase komm, efisɛ Awurade de ato ne so.
Let him sit alone in silence, for God has disciplined him.
29 Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfutuma mu, ebia anidaso wɔ hɔ.
Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope.
30 Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma nea ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwu.
Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach.
31 Na Awurade ntow onipa biara nkyene koraa.
For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
32 Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde awerɛhow ba de, nanso obenya ayamhyehye. Ne dɔ kɛse no to rentwa da.
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
33 Ofi amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhow brɛ nnipa mma.
For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
34 Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛw nneduafo a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
35 sɛ wotiatia obi ahofadi so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
to deny a man justice before the Most High,
36 anaa sɛ wobu obi ntɛnkyew a, Awurade renhu saa nneɛma yi ana?
to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve.
37 Hena na obetumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ bere a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛe?
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
38 Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na mmusu ne nnepa fi ana?
Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefo nwiinwii bere a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
40 Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
41 Momma yɛmma yɛn koma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka se:
Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
42 “Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛatew atua na wamfa ankyɛ.
“We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.”
43 “Wode abufuw akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na woakunkum a woannya ahummɔbɔ.
You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
44 Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu nti mpaebɔ biara nnu wo nkyɛn.
You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through.
45 Woayɛ yɛn atantanne ne nwura wɔ amanaman no mu.
You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
46 “Yɛn atamfo nyinaa abaa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
All our enemies open their mouths against us.
47 Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhwease, mmubui ne ɔsɛe.”
Panic and pitfall have come upon us— devastation and destruction.
48 Me nusu sen sɛ asuten efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo.
Streams of tears flow from my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Me nusu bɛsen ara, na ɛrennyae,
My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief,
50 kosi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afi ɔsoro, na wahu.
until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
51 Nea mihu no ma me kra werɛ how, me kuropɔn no mu mmea nyinaa nti.
My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mʼatamfo a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird.
53 Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wotwa me nkwa so na wosiw me abo wɔ amoa mu;
They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.
54 nsu bu faa me ti so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛnea wɔrewie me.
The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 Mebɔɔ wo din, Awurade fii amoa no ase tɔnn.
I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit.
56 Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsiw wʼaso wɔ me gye sufrɛ ho.”
You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
57 Wutwiw bɛn me bere a mefrɛɛ wo no, na wokae se, “Nsuro.”
You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.”
58 Wo Awurade, wudii mʼasɛm maa me; na wugyee me nkwa.
You defend my cause, O Lord; You redeem my life.
59 Woahu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause!
60 Woahu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me.
61 Awurade, woate wɔn ntwirii, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me—
62 nea mʼatamfo ka no asomsɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long.
63 Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ anaasɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song.
64 Fa nea ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Awurade, nea wɔn nsa ayɛ nti.
You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 Pirim wɔn koma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; may Your curse be upon them!
66 Fa abufuw taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn fi Awurade ɔsorosoro ase.
You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
