Nnwom 102
1 Aberante mmɔborɔni mpaebɔ. Osu kyerɛ Awurade bere a ɔwɔ ahohia mu. Awurade, tie me mpaebɔ; na ma me mmoa ho sufrɛ nnu wʼanim.
Yahweh, listen to what I am praying; hear me while I cry out to you!
2 Mmfa wʼanim nhintaw me bere a mewɔ ahohia mu. Brɛ wʼaso ase ma me; na sɛ misu frɛ wo a, gye me so ntɛm.
Do not (turn away/hide yourself) from me when I (have troubles/am distressed)! Listen to me, and answer me quickly now, when I am calling out to you!
3 Me nkwanna reyera te sɛ wusiw; me nnompe adɔ sɛ nyansramma.
My life is ending, like smoke that disappears [SIM]; I have [a high fever which] burns my body like a fire burns [SIM].
4 Me koma abotow na akisa sɛ sare; na me kɔn nnɔ aduan.
[I feel like] I am drying up like grass [SIM] that has been beaten/trampled down, and I no longer have a desire to eat food.
5 Mʼapinisi dennen nti maka ɔhonam ne nnompe.
I groan loudly, and my bones can be seen under my skin [because I have become very thin].
6 Mete sɛ sare so patu, te sɛ patu a ɔte nnwiriwii mu.
I am like a [lonely and despised] vulture in the desert, like an owl by itself in the abandoned ruins [of a building/city].
7 Meda hɔ a, mʼani gu so; mayɛ sɛ anomaa bi a ɔno nko ara si ɔdan atifi.
I lie awake [at night]; [because there is no one to comfort me], I am like a lonely bird [sitting] on a housetop [SIM].
8 Da mu nyinaa mʼatamfo bɔ me akutia. Wɔn a wodi me ho fɛw no bɔ me din de dome.
All during the day my enemies insult me; those who make fun of me mention my name [and say, “May you be like him”] when they curse people.
9 Mede nsõ ayɛ mʼaduan na mede nusu fra me nsu mu
Because you are very angry [DOU] with me, now [I sit in] ashes [while I am suffering greatly]; and those ashes [fall on] the bread/food that I eat, and what I drink has my tears mixed with it. [It is as though] you have picked me up and thrown me away!
10 esiane wʼabufuwhyew dennen no nti, woama me so, ayi me asi nkyɛn.
11 Me nkwa nna te sɛ anwummere sunsuma; na mehyew sɛ sare.
My time to remain alive is like an evening shadow [that will soon be gone] [SIM]. I am withering like grass withers [in the hot sun].
12 Nanso wo Awurade, woyɛ ɔhene daa daa; na wo din a ahyeta no te hɔ daa awo ntoatoaso nyinaa mu.
But Yahweh, you are our king who rules [MTY] forever; people who are not yet born will remember you.
13 Wobɛsɔre na woahu Sion mmɔbɔ; bere adu sɛ wuhu no mmɔbɔ; bere a wohyɛe no aso.
You will arise and be merciful to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem; it is now time for you to do that; this is the time for you to be kind to them.
14 Nʼabo som bo ma wʼasomfo; ne mfutuma hyɛ wɔn awerɛhow.
Even though (the city has been destroyed/our enemies have destroyed our city), we who serve you still love the stones that [were formerly] in the city walls; because now there is rubble everywhere, we, your people, are very sad when we see it.
15 Amanaman no besuro Awurade din; asase so ahemfo nyinaa bedi wʼanuonyam ni.
Yahweh, [some day the people of other] nations will revere you [MTY]; all the kings on earth will see that you are very glorious/great.
16 Awurade bɛkyekyere Sion bio, na wapue wɔ nʼanuonyam mu.
You will rebuild Jerusalem, and you will appear there with your glory/brightness.
17 Obetie mmɔborɔfo mpaebɔ; na ɔremmu nʼani ngu wɔn sufrɛ so.
You will listen to the prayers of your people who are homeless, and you will (not ignore them/do what they request) [LIT] when they plead with you to help them.
18 Monkyerɛw eyi mma nkyirimma, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wɔn a wonnya nwoo wɔn no bɛkamfo Awurade;
Yahweh, [I want to] write these words in order that people in future years [will know what] you have done, in order that people who are not born yet will praise you.
19 “Awurade hwɛɛ fam fi ne kronkronbea wɔ ɔsoro hɔ; ofi ɔsoro hwɛɛ asase,
They will know that you looked down from your holy/sacred place in heaven [DOU] and saw [what was happening on] the earth.
20 sɛnea ɔbɛte nneduafo apinisi, na wɔagyaa wɔn a wɔabu wɔn kumfɔ no.”
They will know that you hear prisoners groaning and that you will set free those who have been told, “You will be executed.”
21 Enti wɔbɛpae mu abɔ Awurade din wɔ Sion na wɔakamfo no wɔ Yerusalem,
As a result, people in Jerusalem will praise you [DOU] for what you [have done]
22 bere a amanaman ne ahenni ahorow behyia mu na wɔasom Awurade.
when many people [from other people-groups] and [those who are citizens of other] kingdoms gather to worship you.
23 Ɔmaa me yɛɛ mmerɛw wɔ bere a merenyin. Otwaa me nkwa nna so.
[But now] you have caused me to become weak while I am still young; [I think that] I will (not live much longer/ very long/soon die).
24 Enti mekae se, “Me Onyankopɔn, mfa me nkɔ, wɔ me nkwa nna mfimfini; wo mfe wɔ hɔ daa kodu awo ntoatoaso nyinaa mu.
I say to you, “My God, do not cause me to die now, before I become old! You live forever!
25 Mfiase no wotoo asase fapem, na ɔsoro yɛ wo nsa ano adwuma.
You created the world long ago, and you made (the heavens/everything in the sky) with your own hands.
26 Ne nyinaa betwa mu na wo de, wobɛtena hɔ daa; wɔbɛtetew te sɛ atade. Wobɛsesa wɔn te sɛ ntama, na wɔbɛtow wɔn agu.
The earth and the heavens/sky will disappear, but you will remain. They will wear out like clothes wear out. You will get rid of them like [people get rid of] old clothes, and they will no longer exist,
27 Nanso wote sɛnea wote, na wo mfe to rentwa da.
but you are [not like the things that you created], [because you are] always the same; you never die.
28 Wʼasomfo mma bɛtena nkwa mu wɔ wʼanim; na wɔn asefo ase betim wɔ wʼanim.”
[Some day] our children will live safely [in Jerusalem], and their descendants will be protected in your presence.”
