Nnwom 109
1 Dawid dwom. Me Nyankopɔn a mekamfo wo, nyɛ komm,
God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],
2 na amumɔyɛfo ne nkontompofo atu wɔn ano agu me so; wɔde atoro tɛkrɛma akasa atia me.
because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.
3 Wɔde nitansɛm atwa me ho ahyia na wɔtow hyɛ me so a menkaa wɔn.
They are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.
4 Wɔka nsɛm to me so de tua mʼadɔeyɛ so ka, nanso meyɛ obi a mepɛ mpaebɔ.
I show them that I want to be their friends and I pray for them, but [instead of being kind to me], they say that I have done evil things.
5 Wɔde bɔne tua me papayɛ so ka, na wɔde ɔtan tua mʼadɔeyɛ so ka.
In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.
6 Ma onipa bɔne bi nsɔre ntia no; na Satan nnyina ne nsa nifa so.
They said, “Appoint a wicked [judge] who will judge him, and bring in one of his enemies who will stand up and accuse him.
7 Wodi nʼasɛm a, ma onni fɔ, na ne mpaebɔ mmu no kumfɔ.
And cause that when the trial [ends], [the judge will] declare that he is guilty, and that [even] his prayer will be considered to be a sin.
8 Ma ne nkwa nna nyɛ kakraa bi; na ɔfoforo nsi nʼanan mu sɛ ɔkannifo.
[Then], cause that he will soon die and that someone else will have his job/work (OR, possessions).
9 Ma ne mma nyɛ ayisaa na ne yere nyɛ okunafo.
Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
10 Ma ne mma nkyinkyin nsrɛsrɛ ade; ma wɔmpam wɔn mfi wɔn afi a abubu no mu.
Cause that his children will be forced to leave the ruined homes that they have been living in and wander around begging for food.
11 Ma ɔdefirifo bi mfa nea ɔwɔ nyinaa; na ananafo mfom nʼadwuma so aba.
Cause that all the people to whom he owed money will seize all his property; Cause that strangers will take away everything that he worked to acquire.
12 Mma obiara nhu no, anaa ne ayisaa mmɔbɔ.
Cause that [while he is still living] no one will be kind to him, and [after he dies], cause that no one will pity his children.
13 Ma nʼase nhyew, na wɔn din nyera wɔ awo ntoatoaso a ɛreba no mu.
Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.
14 Ma wɔnkae nʼagyanom nnebɔne wɔ Awurade anim; na ne na bɔne no ntena hɔ daa.
Yahweh, remember [and do not forgive] his ancestors for the evil things that they did, and do not [even] forgive the sins that his mother committed;
15 Wɔn bɔne nyinaa nka Awurade anim, na wɔankae wɔn bio wɔ asase so.
think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.
16 Efisɛ wannwene da sɛ ɔbɛyɛ adɔe, na mmom ɔtaa ahiafo mmɔborɔfo ne wɔn a wɔn werɛ ahow de kɔɔ owu mu.
He never was kind to anyone; he (persecuted/cause problems for) poor and needy [people] and even killed helpless [people].
17 Nʼani gyee sɛ ɔbɛdome enti nnome mmra no so; wampɛ sɛ obehyira enti nhyira mmɔ no.
He liked to curse [people]. [So] cause those terrible things that he requested to happen to others to happen to him! He did not want to bless [others], [so] cause that no one will bless him!
18 Ɔhyɛɛ nnome sɛ atade; ɛno kɔɔ ne nipadua mu sɛ nsu, ne ne nnompe mu sɛ ngo.
He cursed other people [as often/easily] as he put on his clothes [SIM]; cause that the terrible things that he wanted to happen to others will [happen to him and] enter his body like water [that he drinks] [SIM], like [olive] oil soaks into a person’s bones [when it is rubbed on his skin] [SIM].
19 Ma ɛnyɛ sɛ atade a ɛkyekyere ne ho, ne abɔso a ɛbɔ no daa.
Cause that those terrible things will cling to him like his clothes and be around him like the belt that he wears every day.”
20 Ma eyi nyɛ Awurade akatua a ɔde ma me sobobɔfo, wɔn a wɔka nsɛmmɔne fa me ho no.
Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.
21 Nanso wo Asafo Awurade, wo din nti wo ne me nni no yiye; fi wʼadɔe mu gye me.
But Yahweh, my God, do good things for me in order that I may honor you; rescue me [from my enemies] because your faithfully loving me is good.
22 Efisɛ meyɛ ohiani ne nea onni bi, na me koma atɔ beraw wɔ me mu.
[I ask you to do this] because I am poor and needy and my inner being is (full of pain/very troubled/discouraged).
23 Mitwaa mu sɛ anwummere sunsuma; wopia me kyene sɛ mmoadabi.
[I think that] my time [to remain alive] is short, like an evening shadow [that will soon disappear] [SIM]. I will be blown away like a locust/grasshopper is blown [by the wind].
24 Mmuadadi ama me nkotodwe mu agugow; mafɔn, na ama aka me nnompe.
My knees are weak because I have (fasted/abstained from eating food) very often, and my body has become very thin.
25 Mayɛ aserewde ama wɔn a wɔbɔ me sobo; sɛ wohu me a, wɔwosow wɔn ti.
The people who accuse me make fun of me; when they see me, they [insult me by] shaking their heads [at me as though I were an evil man].
26 Boa me, Awurade me Nyankopɔn; gye me sɛnea wʼadɔe te.
Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!
27 Ma wonhu sɛ ɛyɛ wo nsa, na wo na woayɛ, Awurade.
[When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!
28 Wɔbɛdome, nanso wubehyira; sɛ wɔtow hyɛ me so a wɔn anim begu ase, nanso wo somfo ani begye.
They may curse me, but I ask that you bless me. Cause those who (persecute/cause problems for) me [to be defeated and as a result] to be disgraced/ashamed, and cause me to be glad/happy!
29 Mʼatamfo befura animguase; na akyekyere wɔn ho sɛ atade.
Cause those who accuse me to be completely disgraced; cause [other people to see] that they are disgraced, as [easily as they see] the clothes that they wear [SIM]!
30 Mede mʼano bɛma Awurade so ayɛ no kɛse; mɛkamfo no wɔ dɔm mu.
But I will thank Yahweh very greatly; I will praise him [when I am] among the crowd [of people who are worshiping him].
31 Efisɛ ogyina ohiani nsa nifa so sɛ obegye no nkwa afi wɔn a wobu no kumfɔ nsam.
[I will do that] because he defends [MTY] needy [people like me], and saves us from those who have decided/declared that we must be executed.
