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