Kwadwom 1
1 Sɛnea kuropɔn no adan amamfo ni, kuropɔn a anka nnipa ahyɛ no ma! Adɛn nti na wayɛ okunafobea a kan no na anka ɔyɛ ɔkɛse wɔ amanaman no mu? Nea na ɔyɛ ɔhemmea wɔ amantam no mu no abɛyɛ afenaa nnɛ.
ALEPH. O how a city once filled with people now sits alone! The Governess of the Gentiles has become like a widow. The Prince of the provinces has been placed under tribute.
2 Osu yayaayaw anadwo, nusu sensan nʼafono so. Nʼadɔfo nyinaa mu no, obiara nni hɔ a ɔkyekyee ne werɛ. Ne nnamfonom nyinaa ayi no ama Wɔayɛ nʼatamfo.
BETH. Weeping, she has wept through the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. There is no one to be a comfort to her and to all her beloved. All her friends have spurned her, and they have become her enemies.
3 Amanehunu ne adwumaden akyi no, Yuda kɔ nnommum mu. Ɔte amanaman no mu na onni ahomegyebea. Wɔn a wɔtaa no nyinaa ato no wɔ nʼahokyere mu.
GHIMEL. Judah has migrated because of affliction and great servitude. She has lived among the nations and not found rest. All of her persecutors have apprehended her, amid torments.
4 Akwan a ɛkɔ Sion no resu, efisɛ obiara nkɔ nʼafahyɛ ase. Nʼapon nyinaa adeda mpan, na nʼasɔfo si apini, ne mmabaa di yaw, na ɔwɔ yawdi a mu yɛ den mu.
DALETH. The pathways of Zion mourn, because there are none who approach for the solemnity. All her gates are destroyed. Her priests groan. Her virgins are filthy. And she is overwhelmed with bitterness.
5 Nʼatamfo abɛyɛ ne wuranom; wɔn a wɔne no ayɛ adɔm ho adwo wɔn. Awurade ama awerɛhow aba ne so nʼamumɔyɛ bebrebe nti. Ne mma kɔ nnommum mu. Wɔayɛ nneduafo ama ɔtamfo.
HE. Her enemies have been made her leaders; her adversaries have been enriched. For the Lord has spoken against her, because of the multitude of her iniquities. Her little ones have been led into captivity before the face of the tribulator.
6 Anuonyam nyinaa atu afi Ɔbabea Sion so kɔ. Ne mmapɔmma ayɛ sɛ aforote a wonnya adidibea; na wɔde mmerɛwyɛ aguan wɔ wɔn ataafo anim.
VAU. And all her elegance has departed, from the daughter of Zion. Her leaders have become like rams that cannot find pasture, and they have gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.
7 Nʼamanehunu ne akyinkyinakyinkyin nna mu no, Yerusalem kae ademude nyinaa a na ɛwɔ no wɔ nna a atwa mu no mu. Ne nkurɔfo kɔtɔɔ ɔtamfo no nsa mu no, na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛboa no. Nʼatamfo de wɔn ani hwɛɛ no na wɔserew ne sɛe.
ZAIN. Jerusalem has remembered the days of her affliction and the betrayal of all her desirable ones, whom she held from the days of antiquity, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and there was no one to be a helper. The enemies have looked upon her and mocked her Sabbaths.
8 Yerusalem ayɛ bɔne kɛse enti ne ho agu fi. Wɔn a wodi no ni no sopa no, efisɛ wɔahu nʼadagyaw; ɔno ankasa gu ahome na ɔdan nʼani.
HETH. Jerusalem has sinned a grievous sinz. Because of this, she has become unstable. All who glorified her have spurned her, because they have looked upon her disgrace. Then she groaned and turned away again.
9 Nʼafideyɛ atu aka ne ntade mu; wannwene ne daakye ho. Nʼasehwe yɛ nwonwa; obiara ankyekye ne werɛ. “Awurade, hwɛ mʼamanehunu, efisɛ ɔtamfo adi nkonim.”
TETH. Her filth is on her feet, and her end has not been remembered. She has been vehemently put down, having no consolation. O Lord, look upon my affliction, for the adversary has been lifted up.
10 Ɔtamfo no de ne nsa too nʼademude nyinaa so; ohuu sɛ amanaman rehyɛn ne kronkronbea hɔ, nnipa a woabra sɛ wɔnnhyɛn wʼasafo mu no.
JOD. The enemy has sent his hand against all her desirable ones. For she has watched the Gentiles enter her sanctuary, even though you instructed that they should not enter into your church.
11 Ne nkurɔfo nyinaa si apini bere a wɔrehwehwɛ aduan; wɔde wɔn ademude sesa aduan de nya ahoɔden. “Awurade, hwɛ na dwene me ho, efisɛ wobu me animtiaa.”
CAPH. All her people are groaning and seeking bread. They have given up whatever was precious in exchange for food, so as to remain alive. See, O Lord, and consider, for I have become vile.
12 “Ɛmfa mo ho ana, mo a mutwa mu wɔ hɔ nyinaa? Monhwɛ na munhu. Ɔyaw bi wɔ hɔ a ɛte sɛ me de a wɔma ɛbaa me so yi, nea Awurade de baa me so wɔ nʼabufuwhyew da no ana?
LAMED. O all you who pass by the way, attend, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. For he has made me a vintage, just as the Lord has spoken in the day of his furious anger.
13 “Ɔsomaa ogya fii ɔsoro, ma ɛbaa me nnompe mu. Osum afiri maa mʼanan na ɔsan me kɔɔ mʼakyi. Ɔyɛɛ me pasaa, metɔɔ beraw da mu nyinaa.
MEM. From on high, he has sent fire into my bones, and he has educated me. He has spread a net for my feet; he has turned me back. He has placed me in desolation, consumed by grief, all day long.
14 “Woakyekyere me bɔne ahyɛ konnua mu; ɔde ne nsa nwen bɔɔ mu. Wɔde asɛn me kɔn mu na Awurade atwe mʼahoɔden. Ɔde me ahyɛ wɔn a merentumi nnyina wɔn anim no nsa.
NUN. Vigilant is the yoke of my iniquities. They have been folded together in his hand and imposed on my neck. My virtue has been weakened. The Lord has given me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise.
15 “Awurade apo akofo a wɔwɔ me ntam nyinaa; wafrɛ asraafo atia me sɛ wɔmmɛdwerɛw me mmerante. Awurade atiatia Ɔbabea Ɔbabun Yuda so wɔ ne nsakyiamoa mu.
SAMECH. The Lord has taken away all of my great ones from my midst. He has called forth time against me, so as to crush my elect ones. The Lord has trampled the winepress, which was for the virgin daughter of Judah.
16 “Eyinom nti na misu na nusu aguare me. Obiara mmɛn a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ, nea ɔbɛhyɛ me honhom den nni hɔ. Me mma agyigya efisɛ ɔtamfo no adi nkonim.”
AIN. For this I weep, and my eyes bring forth water. For the consoler has been far away from me, changing my soul. My sons have become lost, because the enemy has prevailed.
17 Sion trɛw ne nsa mu nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye ne werɛ. Awurade ahyɛ ama Yakob se ne mfɛfo bɛyɛ nʼatamfo; Yerusalem abɛyɛ afide wɔ wɔn mu.
PHE. Zion has reached out her hands; there is no one to console her. The Lord has given orders against Jacob; his enemies are all around him. Jerusalem among them is like a woman made unclean by menstruation.
18 “Awurade yɛ ɔtreneeni, nanso manni nʼahyɛde so. Muntie, mo amanaman nyinaa monhwɛ me yaw. Me mmerante ne mmabaa kɔ nnommum mu.
SADE. The Lord is just, for it is I who has provoked his mouth to wrath. I beg all people to listen and to see my sorrow. My virgins and my youths have gone into captivity.
19 “Mefrɛɛ mʼadɔfo nanso woyii me mae. Mʼasɔfo ne me mpanyimfo ase tɔree wɔ kuropɔn no mu, bere a wɔrehwehwɛ aduan adi na wɔanwuwu.
COPH. I called for my friends, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders have been consumed in the city. For they were seeking their food, so as to revive their life.
20 “Awurade, hwɛ me mmɔbɔ! Meredi yaw wɔ me mu, na me koma mu nso minni ahotɔ, efisɛ mayɛ otuatewfo kɛse. Afoa hyɛ me awerɛhow wɔ abɔnten so; ofie nso yɛ owu nko ara.
RES. See, O Lord, that I am in tribulation. My bowels have been disturbed, my heart has been subverted within me, for I am filled with bitterness. Outside, the sword puts to death, and at home there is a similar death.
21 “Nnipa ate mʼapinisi, nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ. Mʼatamfo nyinaa ate mʼamanehunu wɔn ani gye nea woayɛ no ho. Ma nna a woahyɛ no mmra sɛnea wɔbɛyɛ sɛ me.
SIN. They have heard that I groan and that there is no one to console me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they have rejoiced that you caused it. You have brought in a day of consolation, and so they shall become like me.
22 “Fa wɔn atirimɔdensɛm nyinaa si wʼanim; na wo ne wɔn nni sɛnea wo ne me adi; esiane mʼamumɔyɛ no nti. Mʼapinisi dɔɔso na me koma abotow.”
THAU. Let all their evil enter before you. And make vintage of them, just as you made vintage of me, because of all my iniquities. For my sighs are many, and my heart is grieving.
