Nnwom 144
1 Dawid de. Nkamfo nka Awurade, me Botan, nea ɔma me nsa akodi ho ntetewee, ne me nsateaa ma ɔsa.
I praise Yahweh, who is [like an overhanging] rock [under which I] ([get refuge/am protected])! He trains my hands so that I can use them to fight battles; he trains my fingers so that I can [shoot arrows in a war].
2 Ɔyɛ mʼadɔe Nyankopɔn ne mʼabandennen, me bammɔ ne me gyefo, me kyɛm a mewɔ guankɔbea wɔ no mu, ɔno na ɔka nnipa hyɛ mʼase.
He is the one who protects me; he is [like] a fortress [DOU] in which I am safe, he protects me [like] [protect soldiers] [MET], and he gives me refuge. He defeats [other] nations and [then] puts them under my power.
3 Awurade, hena ne onipa a wʼani ku no ho onipa ba a wudwen ne ho yi?
Yahweh, [we] people are [very insignificant/unimportant], so why (are you concerned/do you care about us) [RHQ]? [It is amazing to me that] you pay attention to humans.
4 Onipa te sɛ ɔhome; ne nna te sɛ sunsuma a ɛretwa mu.
[The time that we live is as short] as [SIM] a puff of wind; our time to live disappears like a shadow does.
5 Awurade, fi ɔsoro hɔ na sian bra fam; fa wo nsa ka mmepɔw, na emfi wusiw.
Yahweh, (tear open/open up) the sky and come down! Touch the mountains in order that smoke will pour out from them!
6 Soma anyinam na bɔ atamfo no hwete; to wo mmɛmma no ma wonguan.
Cause lightning to flash with the result that [your enemies] will run away! Shoot your arrows [at them] and cause them to (run away/scatter).
7 Teɛ wo nsa fi ɔsoro bra fam; gye me na yi me fi nsu akɛse ho, fi ananafo nsam,
[It is as though my enemies surround me like] a flood; reach your hand down from heaven and rescue me from them [SYN]. They are men from other countries
8 wɔn a atoro ayɛ wɔn anom ma, na wɔn nsa nifa yɛ nnaadaa.
who [SYN] [always] tell lies. [Even in a courtroom where they swear to tell the truth] they tell lies.
9 Onyankopɔn, mɛto dwom foforo ama wo; mɛto dwom wɔ sanku a ahama du gu so so ama wo,
God, I will sing a new song to you, and I will play my ten-stringed harp [while I sing] to you.
10 ama Ɔbaako a ɔde nkonimdi ma ahemfo, na ogye ne somfo Dawid fi afoawerɛmfo ano.
You enable kings to defeat [their enemies]; and you rescued me, your servant David, from [being killed by] my enemies’ swords.
11 Gye me na yi me fi ananafo nsam, wɔn a atoro ayɛ wɔn anom ma na wɔn nsa nifa yɛ nnaadaa.
[So I ask you to] save me from [being killed by] the swords [that those] evil [people carry]. Rescue me from the power [MTY] of those foreigners who [SYN] [always] tell lies, and [who raise] their right hands [in courtrooms when they solemnly declare that they will tell the truth].
12 Afei yɛn mmabarima mmerantebere mu bɛyɛ sɛ afifide a wɔahwɛ so yiye, na yɛn mmabea bɛyɛ sɛ adum a wɔasen de asiesie ahemfi.
I wish/hope that our young sons will grow up to be like strong plants [SIM], and I wish/hope that our daughters will [grow up to] be [straight and tall] like the pillars [SIM] that stand in the corners of palaces.
13 Yɛn asan bɛyɛ amaama; aduan ahorow biara bɛba so. Yɛn nguan dodow so bɛto mpem mpem, wɔn so bɛto mpem du du wɔ yɛn mfuw so;
I wish/hope that our barns will be full of many different crops. I wish/hope that the sheep in our fields will give birth to tens of thousands of baby lambs.
14 yɛn anantwi bɛtwe nnesoa duruduru. Wɔrennwiriw afasu, yɛrenkɔ nkoasom mu, na agyaadwotwa remma yɛn mmɔnten so.
I wish/hope that our cows will give birth to many calves without having any miscarriages or deaths when they are born (OR, that no enemies will break through our city walls and take us (into exile/to their own countries)). I wish/hope that [there will not be a time when the people in] our streets cry out in distress [because foreign armies are invading].
15 Nhyira nka nnipa a ɛbɛba mu saa ama wɔn. Nhyira nka nnipa a wɔn Nyankopɔn ne Awurade.
If good things like that happen to a nation, the people will be very happy. The people whose God is Yahweh are the ones who will be happy!
