Kwadwom 3
1 Mene ɔbarima a mahu amane wɔ nʼabufuw abaa ano.
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 Wapam me afi ne ho ama manantew sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, da mu nyinaa.
Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
4 Wama me were ne me nam anyin Na wabubu me nnompe.
He has made my flesh and my skin 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 built against 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 dark places, as those who have been long dead.
7 Wato ɔfasu atwa me ho ahyia enti mintumi nguan; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ beraw.
He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
8 Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpae srɛ mmoa a osiw me mpaebɔ ano.
Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 Ɔde abotan asiw me kwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
10 Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛw,
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
11 ɔtwee me fii ɔkwan no mu bebaree me na ogyaw me a minni mmoa biara.
He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
12 Okuntun ne ta mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 Ɔde bɛmma a efi ne kotoku mu hwirew me koma mu.
He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
14 Meyɛɛ akyiwade maa me nkurɔfo nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw da mu nyinaa.
I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
15 Ɔde nhaban nweenwen ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
16 Ɔde mmosea abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfutuma mu.
He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
17 Wɔama asomdwoe abɔ me; na me werɛ afi yiyedi.
You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18 Enti mise, “Mʼanuonyam asa, nea mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”
19 Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyinakyinkyin mu, nweenwen ne bɔnwoma mu.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
20 Mekae yiye, na me kra abotow wɔ me mu.
My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
21 Nanso midwen eyi ho; saa nti mewɔ anidaso.
This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
22 Awurade dɔ kɛse nti yɛnsɛee ɛ. Nʼayamhyehye nni huammɔ.
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t 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.”
“Yahweh 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;
Yahweh 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 that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.
27 Eye ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa konnua no wɔ ne mmerantebere mu.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Ma ɔntena ase komm, efisɛ Awurade de ato ne so.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
29 Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfutuma mu, ebia anidaso wɔ hɔ.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
30 Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma nea ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwu.
Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
31 Na Awurade ntow onipa biara nkyene koraa.
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde awerɛhow ba de, nanso obenya ayamhyehye. Ne dɔ kɛse no to rentwa da.
For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33 Ofi amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhow brɛ nnipa mma.
For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛw nneduafo a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 sɛ wotiatia obi ahofadi so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 anaa sɛ wobu obi ntɛnkyew a, Awurade renhu saa nneɛma yi ana?
to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.
37 Hena na obetumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ bere a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛe?
Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
38 Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na mmusu ne nnepa fi ana?
Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
39 Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefo nwiinwii bere a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.
41 Momma yɛmma yɛn koma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka se:
Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 “Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛatew atua na wamfa ankyɛ.
“We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
43 “Wode abufuw akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na woakunkum a woannya ahummɔbɔ.
“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
44 Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu nti mpaebɔ biara nnu wo nkyɛn.
You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Woayɛ yɛn atantanne ne nwura wɔ amanaman no mu.
You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
46 “Yɛn atamfo nyinaa abaa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhwease, mmubui ne ɔsɛe.”
Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
48 Me nusu sen sɛ asuten efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo.
My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Me nusu bɛsen ara, na ɛrennyae,
My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
50 kosi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afi ɔsoro, na wahu.
until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.
51 Nea mihu no ma me kra werɛ how, me kuropɔn no mu mmea nyinaa nti.
My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mʼatamfo a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
53 Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wotwa me nkwa so na wosiw me abo wɔ amoa mu;
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
54 nsu bu faa me ti so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛnea wɔrewie me.
Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
55 Mebɔɔ wo din, Awurade fii amoa no ase tɔnn.
I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsiw wʼaso wɔ me gye sufrɛ ho.”
You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
57 Wutwiw bɛn me bere a mefrɛɛ wo no, na wokae se, “Nsuro.”
You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
58 Wo Awurade, wudii mʼasɛm maa me; na wugyee me nkwa.
Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
59 Woahu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
60 Woahu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
61 Awurade, woate wɔn ntwirii, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their plans against me,
62 nea mʼatamfo ka no asomsɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
63 Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ anaasɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
64 Fa nea ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Awurade, nea wɔn nsa ayɛ nti.
You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.
65 Pirim wɔn koma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
66 Fa abufuw taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn fi Awurade ɔsorosoro ase.
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.
