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.
How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head 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, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Mpo adompo yi wɔn nufu ma wɔn mma num, nanso me nkurɔfo ayɛ atirimɔdenfo sɛ sohori a ɔwɔ sare so.
Even the sea-monsters draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: the daughter of my people [is become] cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 Osukɔm nti, akokoaa tɛkrɛma fam ne dodo mu; mmofra no srɛ aduan, nanso obiara mfa mma wɔn.
The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, [and] no man breaketh [it] to 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.
They that fed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6 Me nkurɔfo asotwe so sen Sodom a wotuu wɔn mpofirim no, a wɔannya ɔboafo biara de.
For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on 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 Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing [was] of 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 visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
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.
[They that are] slain with the sword are better than [they that are] slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for [want of] the fruits of 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 the pitiful women have boiled their own children: they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Awurade ada nʼabufuwhyew nyinaa adi; wahwie nʼabufuw a ano yɛ den no. Ɔsɔɔ ogya ano wɔ Sion ma ɛhyew ne fapem.
The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured 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, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy would have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Nanso esii, nʼadiyifo no bɔne ne nʼasɔfo amumɔyɛ nti, wɔn na wohwiee atreneefo mogya guu wɔ kuropɔn no mu.
For the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
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 have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
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.”
They cried to them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn [there].
16 Awurade ankasa abɔ wɔn ahwete; nʼani nni wɔn so bio. Wɔmmfa nidi mma asɔfo, na wɔn ani nsɔ mpanyimfo.
The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not 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.
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation [that] could not save [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 hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Yɛn ataafo ho yɛ hare sen akɔre a wɔwɔ wim; wɔtaa yɛn faa mmepɔw so na wɔtɛw yɛn wɔ sare so.
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid 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 of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
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, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through to thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself 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.
The punishment of thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will disclose thy sins.
