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.
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, How is she become tributary!
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.
She weepeth bitterly in the night; tears are upon her cheeks; Among all her lovers she hath no comforter; All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; 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.
Judah goeth into exile, because of affliction and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest; All her pursuers overtake her in the straits.
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.
The ways to Zion mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts; All her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, Her virgins wail, and she is in 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.
Her adversaries have become the head; her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; Her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.
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.
From the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed; Her princes are become like harts, that find no pasture; Without strength, they flee before 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.
Jerusalem remembereth, in the days of her affliction and of her oppression, All her pleasant things, which she had in the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and she had no helper; Her adversaries saw her, and mocked at her destruction.
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.
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she become vile; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her shame; She sigheth, and turneth backward.
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.”
Her filthiness is upon her skirts; She thought not of her end, therefore is she brought down wonderfully; she hath no comforter. “Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction, for the enemy doth triumph!”
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.
The adversary spreadeth his hands over all her pleasant things; Yea, she seeth the nations enter into her sanctuary, Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into her congregation.
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.”
All her people sigh; they seek bread; They give their precious things for bread to sustain life. “Behold, O Jehovah, and consider, how I am 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?
“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow, which is brought upon me, With which Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce 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.
“From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevailed against them: He hath spread a net for my feet; he hath turned me back; He hath made me desolate, faint all the 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.
“The yoke of my transgressions is fastened in his hand; they are twisted together; They are laid upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fall; The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I cannot stand.
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.
“The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men; The Lord hath trodden down the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a wine-vat.
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.”
“For these things do I weep; mine eye runneth down with water; For far from me are they that should comfort me, that should restore my strength; My children have perished, because the enemy 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.
Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath given command against Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him; Jerusalem is become an abhorrence among them.
18 “Awurade yɛ ɔtreneeni, nanso manni nʼahyɛde so. Muntie, mo amanaman nyinaa monhwɛ me yaw. Me mmerante ne mmabaa kɔ nnommum mu.
“Righteous is Jehovah, for I have disobeyed his commandment; Hear, I pray you, all ye nations, and behold my sorrow! My virgins and my young men are 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.
“I called upon my lovers, but they have proved false to me; My priests and my elders have expired in the city, While they sought for food to sustain their lives.
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.
“Behold, O Jehovah, how I am distressed! my bowels boil, My heart turneth itself within me; for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad the sword bereaveth; at home, 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.
“They hear how I sigh, yet none comforteth me; mine enemies have heard of my calamity; they rejoice that thou hast done it. O bring the day which thou hast appointed, that they shall be 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.”
“Let all their wickedness come before thee, deal thou with them as thou hast dealt with me for all my transgressions! For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.”
