Kwadwom 4
1 Hwɛ sɛnea sikakɔkɔɔ ayera ne hyerɛn no ni Sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa na ho abiri saa! Wɔatoto aboɔdemmo kronkron apete wɔ abɔnten biara so.
The gold has become tarnished; how the purest gold has changed! The holy stones are scattered at the corner of every street.
2 Hwɛ sɛnea Sion mmabarima a wodi mu na anka wɔsom bo sɛ sikakɔkɔɔ no ayɛ, mprempren wɔfa wɔn sɛ dɔte nkuku, ɔnwemfo nsa ano adwuma!
The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in pure gold, but now they are worth no more than clay jars, the work of the potter's hands!
3 Mpo adompo yi wɔn nufu ma wɔn mma num, nanso me nkurɔfo ayɛ atirimɔdenfo sɛ sohori a ɔwɔ sare so.
Even the jackals offer the breast to nurse their cubs, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the desert.
4 Osukɔm nti, akokoaa tɛkrɛma fam ne dodo mu; mmofra no srɛ aduan, nanso obiara mfa mma wɔn.
The tongue of the nursing baby sticks to the roof of his mouth by thirst; the children ask for food, but there is none for them.
5 Wɔn a na anka wodi nnuan pa no ohia buruburoo aka wɔn wɔ mmɔnten so. Wɔn a wɔde sirikyi tetew wɔn no mprempren wɔdeda nso a wɔaboa ano so.
Those who used to feast on the finest food now starve in the streets. Those who were brought up wearing scarlet clothing now lie on piles of ashes.
6 Me nkurɔfo asotwe so sen Sodom a wotuu wɔn mpofirim no, a wɔannya ɔboafo biara de.
The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment and no hands were wrung for her.
7 Na wɔn ahenemma ho twa sen sukyerɛmma, na wɔnan sen nufusu, na wɔn nipadua no bere, na ɛwɔ ahoɔden te sɛ abohemaa, na wɔte sɛ hoabo.
Her leaders were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their form was like sapphire.
8 Nanso mprempren de, wobiri sen wusiw bɔtɔ; na wonhu wɔn yiye wɔ mmɔnten so. Wɔn were atwintwam wɔ wɔn nnompe so; ho awo wosee sɛ abaa.
Their appearance now is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
9 Wɔn a wɔtotɔɔ wɔ afoa ano no ye koraa sen wɔn a ɔkɔm kunkum wɔn; ɔkɔm tware wɔn ma wowuwu, esiane aduan a enni mfuw so nti.
Those who have been killed by the sword were happier than those killed by hunger, who wasted away, pierced by the lack of any harvest from the field.
10 Mmea a wɔwɔ ayamhyehye de wɔn nsa anoa wɔn ankasa mma, ayɛ wɔn aduan, bere a wɔsɛee me nkurɔfo no.
The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the time when the daughter of my people was being destroyed.
11 Awurade ada nʼabufuwhyew nyinaa adi; wahwie nʼabufuw a ano yɛ den no. Ɔsɔɔ ogya ano wɔ Sion ma ɛhyew ne fapem.
Yahweh showed all his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
12 Asase so ahemfo annye anni, wiase mu nnipa nso annye anni sɛ atamfo betumi ahyɛn Yerusalem apon mu.
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world believe, that enemies or opponents could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Nanso esii, nʼadiyifo no bɔne ne nʼasɔfo amumɔyɛ nti, wɔn na wohwiee atreneefo mogya guu wɔ kuropɔn no mu.
This happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests who have shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
14 Afei wɔkeka wɔ mmɔnten so te sɛ nnipa a wɔn ani afura. Mogya a ama wɔn ho agu fi no nti obiara suro sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛka wɔn ntade.
They wandered, blind, through the streets. They were so defiled by that blood that no one was allowed to touch their clothes.
15 Nnipa teɛteɛɛ mu gu wɔn so se, “Mumfi ha nkɔ! Mo ho ntew!” “Monkɔ, monkɔ! Mommfa mo ho nka yɛn.” Sɛ woguan kɔnenam a amanaman no mu nnipa ka se, “Wɔrentumi ntena ha bio.”
“Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they wandered about; people said among the nations, “They can stay here no longer.”
16 Awurade ankasa abɔ wɔn ahwete; nʼani nni wɔn so bio. Wɔmmfa nidi mma asɔfo, na wɔn ani nsɔ mpanyimfo.
Yahweh himself scattered them; he does not watch over them anymore. They do not honor the priests, and they did not show any favor to the elders.
17 Nea ɛka ho bio, yɛn ani anni ammoa yɛn, yɛpɛɛ sɛ yebenya mmoa, nanso ɛyɛɛ ɔkwa; yefi yɛn abantenten so de yɛn ani too ɔman a wɔrentumi nnye yɛn so.
Our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us.
18 Nnipa dii yɛn ntɛntɛnso wɔ yɛn anammɔntu mu, enti yɛantumi annantew yɛn mmɔnten so. Yɛn awiei bɛnee, na wɔkan yɛn nna, efisɛ na yɛn awiei adu so.
They followed our steps, we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near and our days were numbered, our end had come.
19 Yɛn ataafo ho yɛ hare sen akɔre a wɔwɔ wim; wɔtaa yɛn faa mmepɔw so na wɔtɛw yɛn wɔ sare so.
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the sky. They chased us to the mountains and lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 Nea Awurade asra no ngo, yɛn nkwa home ankasa no, kɔtɔɔ wɔn mfiri mu. Yegye dii sɛ ne nwini ase, yebenya nkwa wɔ amanaman no mu.
The breath in our nostrils—Yahweh's anointed one—he was the one who was captured in their pits; of whom it was said, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
21 Di ahurusi na ma wʼani nnye, Edom Babea, wo a wote Us asase so. Wɔde kuruwa no bɛma wo nso bi; wobɛbow na wɔabɔ wo adagyaw.
Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and strip yourself naked.
22 Ɔbabea Sion, wʼasotwe bɛba awiei; ɔremma wo nkɔ so ntena nnommum mu. Nanso Ɔbabea Edom, obetua wo bɔne so ka na wada wʼamumɔyɛ adi.
Daughter of Zion, your punishment will come to an end; he will not extend your exile. But daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins.
