Kwadwom 1
1 Ao, sɛdeɛ kuropɔn no adane amamfo nie, kuropɔn a anka nnipa ahyɛ no ma? Ɛdeɛn enti na wayɛ okunafoɔ baa a kane no na anka woyɛ kɛseɛ wɔ amanaman no mu? Deɛ na ɔyɛ ɔhemmaa wɔ amantam no mu no abɛyɛ afenaa ɛnnɛ.
Jerusalem was [once] full of people, but now it is deserted. [Once] it was honored by people all over the world, but now it is [grieving/abandoned] like [SIM] a widow. [Once] it was [honored like] [MET] a princess [is honored] among the nations, but now [we who live here] have become slaves.
2 Ɔsu yaayaaya anadwo, nisuo sensane nʼafono so. Nʼadɔfoɔ nyinaa mu no, ɔbiara nni hɔ a ɔkyekyere ne werɛ. Nʼayɔnkofoɔ nyinaa adi no hwammɔ Wɔayɛ nʼatamfoɔ.
We [PRS] weep bitterly [all] night long, with tears flowing down our cheeks. Among [the people in] all [the nations] that loved Jerusalem there are none that comfort us [now]. All [the rulers of those nations that were previously] our allies have betrayed us, and they are all now enemies [of the people of Jerusalem].
3 Amanehunu ne adwumaden akyi no, Yuda kɔ nnommumfa mu. Ɔte amanaman no mu na ɔnni ahomegyebea Wɔn a wɔtaa no nyinaa ati no wɔ nʼahokyere mu.
[The people of] Judah have been (exiled/forced to go to other countries) and caused to suffer greatly as slaves. They live in [other] nations where they do not have peace/safety. Their enemies seized them, and there was no way for them to escape.
4 Akwan a ɛkɔ Sion no di awerɛhoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ obiara nkɔ nʼafahyɛ ase. Nʼapono nyinaa adeda mpan, na nʼasɔfoɔ si apinie, ne mmabaawa di yea, na ɔwɔ yeadie a emu yɛ den.
The roads to Zion [Hill] are empty [PRS] because no one comes [here] to [celebrate] the sacred festivals. The city gates are deserted, and the priests groan. The young women [of Jerusalem] cry [because] they are suffering greatly.
5 Nʼatamfoɔ abɛyɛ ne wuranom; wɔn a wɔ ne no ayɛ dom ho adwo wɔn. Awurade ama awerɛhoɔ aba ne so nʼamumuyɛ bebrebe enti. Ne mma kɔ nnommumfa mu. Wɔayɛ nneduafoɔ ama ɔtamfoɔ.
Our enemies have conquered the city, and [now] they prosper. Yahweh has punished [the people of] Jerusalem because of all the sins that they have committed. The children [of Jerusalem] have been captured and taken [to other countries].
6 Animuonyam nyinaa atu afiri Ɔbabaa Sion so kɔ. Ne mmapɔmma ayɛ sɛ aforoteɛ a wɔnnya adidibea; na wɔde mmerɛyɛ adwane wɔ wɔn ataafoɔ anim.
Jerusalem was a beautiful city, but it is not beautiful now. The leaders [of the city] are like [SIM] deer that are starving because of being unable to find any grass [to eat]. They are very weak, with the result that they are unable to run from their enemies.
7 Nʼamanehunu ne ananteananteɛ nna mu no, Yerusalem kae ademudeɛ nyinaa a na ɛwɔ no wɔ nna a atwam no mu. Ne nkurɔfoɔ kɔtɔɔ ɔtamfoɔ no nsa mu no, na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛboa no. Nʼatamfoɔ de wɔn ani hwɛɛ no na wɔseree ne sɛeɛ.
[The people of] Jerusalem are sad and scattered, and they think about the previous greatness of the city. [But now] our enemies have captured the city, and there is no one to help the people. Our enemies destroyed the city and laughed while they were doing that.
8 Yerusalem ayɛ bɔne kɛseɛ enti ne ho agu fi. Wɔn a wɔdi no ni no sopa no, ɛfiri sɛ wɔahunu nʼadagya; ɔno ankasa gu ahome na ɔdane nʼani.
[The people of] [PRS] Jerusalem have sinned very much; [it is as though] [MET] the city has become [like] a filthy [rag]. All those who [previously] honored the city [now] despise it, because they see that it has become very disgraced [MET]. Now [the people of] the city groan, and they cover their faces [because they are very ashamed].
9 Nʼafideyɛ atu aka ne ntadeɛ mu; wannwene ne daakye ho. Nʼasehweɛ yɛ nwanwa; obiara ankyekyere ne werɛ. “Ao Awurade hwɛ mʼamanehunu, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ adi nkonim.”
The city has become filthy because of [PRS] the sins that the people have committed; they did not think about what could happen to the city. [Now] the city has been destroyed, and there is no one to comfort [the people]. [The people cry out saying], “Yahweh, look at how we are suffering because our enemies have defeated us!”
10 Ɔtamfoɔ no de ne nsa too nʼademudeɛ nyinaa so; ɔhunuu sɛ amanaman rehyɛne ne kronkronbea hɔ, nnipa a woabra sɛ wɔnnhyɛne wʼasafo mu no.
Our enemies have taken away all our treasures, all the valuable things that we owned. We have seen [soldiers from other] nations, [men who do not worship Yahweh], enter our sacred temple, [the place] where foreigners/non-Israelis were (forbidden/not allowed) to enter.
11 Ne nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa si apinie ɛberɛ a wɔrepɛ aduane; wɔde wɔn ademudeɛ sesa aduane de nya ahoɔden. “Ao, Awurade, hwɛ na dwene me ho, ɛfiri sɛ wɔbu me animtia.”
The people of the city groan while they search for food; they have given their treasures to get food [to eat] to remain alive. [They say], “Yahweh, look [at us], and see that we are despised!”
12 “Ɛmfa mo ho anaa, mo a motwam hɔ nyinaa? Monhwɛ na monhunu. Ɛyea bi wɔ hɔ a ɛte sɛ me deɛ a wɔma ɛbaa me soɔ yi anaa? Deɛ Awurade de baa me so wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ da no.
You people who pass by, you do not [RHQ] seem to care at all [about what has happened to us]. Look around and see that there are no other [RHQ] people who are suffering like we are. Yahweh has caused us to suffer because he was extremely angry [with us].
13 “Ɔsomaa ogya firi ɔsoro, ma ɛbaa me nnompe mu. Ɔsum afidie maa me nan na ɔsane me kɔɔ mʼakyi. Ɔyɛɛ me pasaa, metɔɔ bira da mu nyinaa.
[It is as though] he sent a fire from heaven [MTY] that burned in our bones; [it is as though] [MET] he has placed a trap for our feet, and has prevented us from walking any further. He has abandoned us; we are weak/miserable [every day], all day long.
14 “Woakyekyere me bɔne sɛ adesoa; ɔde ne nsa nwene bɔɔ mu. Abɛda me kɔn mu na Awurade atwe mʼahoɔden. Ɔde me ahyɛ wɔn a merentumi nnyina wɔn anim no nsa.
He caused the sins that we have committed to be [like] a heavy load for us to carry; [it is as though] [MET] he tied them around our necks. Previously we were strong, but he has caused us to become weak. He has allowed our enemies to capture us, and we were not able to do anything to resist them.
15 “Awurade apo ahoɔdenfoɔ a wɔwɔ me ntam nyinaa; wafrɛ akodɔm atia me sɛ wɔmmɛdwɛre me mmeranteɛ. Awurade atiatia Ɔbabaa Yuda Bunu so wɔ ne nsakyiamena hɔ.
Yahweh looked at our mighty soldiers and laughed at them. He has summoned a great army to [come and] crush our young soldiers. [It is as though] [MET] Yahweh has trampled on [us] people of Judah like [SIM] [people trample] on grapes in a pit [to make wine].
16 “Yeinom enti na mesu na nisuo adware me. Obiara mmɛn a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ. Deɛ ɔbɛhyɛ me honhom den nni hɔ. Me mma agyigya ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no adi nkonim.”
I weep because of [all] those things; my eyes are filled with tears. There is no one to comfort me; those who could encourage me are far away. Our enemies have conquered [us], so our children have nothing good to (hope for/expect to happen).
17 Sion trɛ ne nsa mu nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye ne werɛ Awurade ahyɛ ama Yakob sɛ ne mfɛfoɔ bɛyɛ nʼatamfoɔ; Yerusalem abɛyɛ afideɛ wɔ wɔn mu.
[We people of] [PRS] Jerusalem reach out our hands [to get help], but there is no one to comfort us. Yahweh has decided concerning [us descendants of] Jacob that the people in nearby nations will become our enemies; so they consider that Jerusalem has become [like] [MET] a filthy rag.
18 “Awurade yɛ ɔteneneeni, nanso manni nʼahyɛdeɛ so. Montie, mo amanaman nyinaa monhwɛ me yea. Me mmeranteɛ ne mmabaawa kɔ nnommumfa mu.
But what Yahweh has done [to us] is fair, because we have rebelled against obeying the commands that he gave [us]. You people everywhere, listen [to us]; [look and] see that we are suffering [greatly]. We had [many] sons and daughters, but they have been captured and forced to go to distant countries.
19 “Mefrɛɛ mʼapamfoɔ nanso wɔyii me maeɛ. Mʼasɔfoɔ ne me mpanimfoɔ ase tɔreɛ wɔ kuropɔn no mu, ɛberɛ a wɔrepɛ aduane adi na wɔanwuwu.
We pleaded with our allies [to help us], but they [all] refused. Our priests and our leaders have died [from hunger] in the city while they were searching for food [to eat] to remain alive.
20 “Ao Awurade, hwɛ me mmɔborɔ! Meredi ɛyea wɔ me mu, na mʼakoma mu nso menni ahotɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mayɛ otuatefoɔ kɛseɛ. Akofena hyɛ me awerɛhoɔ wɔ abɔntene so; efie nso yɛ owuo nko ara.
Yahweh, see that we are suffering very much. [It is as though] our inner beings are tormented. We are sad [SYN] because we have rebelled [against you]. Our enemies kill people in the streets with their swords; people are dying [because they have no food to eat].
21 “Nnipa ate mʼapinisie, nanso obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛkyekye me werɛ. Mʼatamfoɔ nyinaa ate mʼamanehunu wɔn ani gye deɛ woayɛ no ho. Ma nna a woahyɛ no mmra sɛdeɛ wɔbɛyɛ sɛ me.
People have heard us while we groaned, but no one [came to] comfort us. [Yahweh, ] you caused us to experience this [disaster], and our enemies are happy to see what you have done [to us]. But cause it soon to be the time that you have promised, when our enemies will suffer like we have suffered!
22 “Fa wɔn atirimuɔdensɛm nyinaa si wʼanim; na wo ne wɔn nni sɛdeɛ wo ne me adie ɛsiane mʼamumuyɛ no enti. Mʼapinisie dɔɔso na mʼakoma aboto.”
[Yahweh, ] see all the evil things that they have done and punish them! [Punish them] like you have punished us for all the sins that we committed! [We say this to you] because we suffer and groan very much, and we (faint/are very sad).
