Kwadwom 2
1 Sɛdeɛ Awurade de nʼabufuhyeɛ omununkum akata Ɔbabaa Sion so nie? Wato Israel animuonyam firi soro abɛhwe fam; wankae ne nan ntiasoɔ wɔ nʼabufuo da no.
Yahweh was extremely angry [with us]; as a result, [it was as though] [MET] he covered Jerusalem with a dark cloud. Previously it was a beautiful/glorious city, but he has caused it to become a ruins. At the time he punished [MET] Israel, he [even] abandoned his temple [MET] [in Jerusalem].
2 Awurade annya ahummɔborɔ na wamene Yakob atenaeɛ nyinaa; nʼabufuhyeɛ mu, wadwiri Yuda Ɔbabaa aban denden no agu fam. Wagu nʼahennie ne ne mmapɔmma ho fi.
Yahweh destroyed the homes of [the people of] [PRS] Judah; he did not act mercifully. Because he was very angry, he broke down the fortresses of Judah. He has caused our kingdom and our rulers to become disgraced, and he has gotten rid of them.
3 Ɔde abufuhyeɛ atwitwa Israel mmɛn nyinaa. Wayi ne banbɔ wɔ ɛberɛ a atamfoɔ no reba. Wasɔ wɔ Yakob mu sɛ ogyadɛreɛ a ɛhye biribiara a atwa ho ahyia.
Because he was extremely angry, he has caused Israel to not be powerful [MET] any more. He has refused to assist us when our enemies attacked us. He has destroyed Israel like [SIM] a raging fire destroys everything.
4 Wapoma ne bɛmma te sɛ ɔtamfoɔ; ne nsa nifa ayɛ krado. Sɛdeɛ ɔtamfoɔ yɛ no, wakunkum wɔn a wɔyɛ fɛ wɔ anisoɔ nyinaa; wahwie nʼabufuhyeɛ sɛ ogya agu Ɔbabaa Sion ntomadan so.
He bent his bow [to prepare to shoot us, his people], as though we were his enemies. He [prepared to] kill the people whom we love the most [MET], members of our own families. He is extremely angry [MTY] with us people of Jerusalem; his anger is like [SIM] a fire.
5 Awurade ayɛ sɛ ɔtamfoɔ; wamene Israel. Wamene nʼahemfie nyinaa asɛe nʼabandenden. Wama awerɛhoɔdie ne agyaadwotwa adɔɔso ama Yuda Ɔbabaa.
Yahweh has become like an enemy to [us] Israelis; he has destroyed our palaces and caused our fortresses to become ruins. He has gotten rid of many people in Jerusalem, and caused us to mourn and weep [for those who were killed].
6 Wama nʼatenaeɛ ada mpan sɛ turo; wasɛe ne dwabirem. Awurade ama Sion werɛ afiri nʼafahyɛ ne home nna; wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ mu no wabu ɔhene ne ɔsɔfoɔ animtia.
He has caused his temple to be smashed [as easily] as [SIM] if it was a shelter in a garden. He has caused [us, his people], to forget all our sacred festivals and Sabbath days. He has caused [our] kings and priests to be rejected because he was extremely angry with them.
7 Awurade apo nʼafɔrebukyia na wagyae ne kronkronbea mu. Ɔde nʼahemfie afasuo ahyɛ nʼatamfoɔ nsa. Wɔteam wɔ Awurade efie te sɛ afahyɛ da.
Yahweh has rejected his own altar and abandoned his temple. He has allowed [our] enemies to tear down the walls of [our temple and] our palaces. They shout [victoriously] in the temple of Yahweh, like we [previously shouted] during our sacred festivals.
8 Awurade sii nʼadwene pi sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Ɔbabaa Sion ɔfasuo a atwa ne ho ahyia no. Ɔde susuhoma too ho na wannyae ɔsɛeɛ no. Ɔmaa apie ne afasuo dii abooboo; wɔn nyinaa sɛeɛ.
Yahweh was determined to cause the walls of our city [MTY] to be torn down. [It was as though] he measured the walls and [then he completely] destroyed [MTY] them. [It was as though] he caused the towers and walls to lament/weep, [because they were now ruins].
9 Nʼapono amem fam; wɔn adaban nso, wabubu mu asɛe no. Ne ɔhene ne ne mmapɔmma, watwa wɔn asuo kɔ amanaman no mu, mmara nni hɔ bio, na nʼadiyifoɔ nnnya anisoadehunu a ɛfiri Awurade hɔ bio.
The city gates have collapsed; the bars that fastened the gates shut have been smashed. The king and his officials have [been forced to] go to other countries. No longer does anyone teach the people the laws [that God gave to Moses]. The prophets do not receive any visions [because] Yahweh does not give them any.
10 Ɔbabaa Sion mpanimfoɔ tete fam ayɛ komm; wɔde mfuturo agu wɔn tirim afirafira ayitoma. Yerusalem mmabaawa asisi wɔn tiri ase.
The old men of Jerusalem [MTY] sit on the ground, and they say nothing. They wear rough sackcloth and throw dust on their heads [to show that they are sad]. The young girls of Jerusalem bow down [sorrowfully], their faces touching the ground.
11 Mʼani rentumi nnyae nisuteɛ, me yafunu mu retwa me, mʼakoma rete atɔ fam, ɛfiri sɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mmɔfra ne mmotafowa totɔ piti wɔ kuropɔn no mmɔntene so.
My eyes are very tired because of my tears; I am very grieved in my soul. Because [very many of] my people have been killed, I grieve and am exhausted. [Even] children and babies are fainting [and dying] in the streets [because they have no food].
12 Wɔbisa wɔn maamenom sɛ, “Ɛhe na aduane ne nsã wɔ?” Ɛberɛ a wɔtotɔ piti sɛ apirafoɔ wɔ kuropɔn no mmɔntene so, ɛberɛ a wɔn nkwa resa wɔ wɔn maamenom abasa so.
They cry out to their mothers, “We need [RHQ] something to eat and drink!” They faint like wounded men in the streets of the city. They slowly die in the arms of their mothers.
13 Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi aka ama woɔ? Ɛdeɛn ho na mɛtumi de wo atoto, Ao, Yerusalem Ɔbabaa? Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi de asusu woɔ, de akyekyere wo werɛ, Ao, Sion Ɔbabaa Bunu? Wʼapirakuro so sɛ ɛpo. Hwan na ɔbɛtumi asa ama woɔ?
You people of Jerusalem [MTY, DOU], (what can I/there is nothing that I can) say [to help you]. No people have [RHQ] suffered like you are suffering; I do not know what I can do to comfort you. The disaster [MET] that you have experienced is as great as the ocean is deep; there is no one [RHQ] who can restore your [city].
14 Wʼadiyifoɔ anisoadehunu yɛ atorɔ a ɛho nni mfasoɔ; wɔanna mo amumuyɛ adi ansi mo nnommumfa ano. Nkɔmhyɛ a wɔde maa mo no yɛ atorɔ ne nnaadaa.
The prophets among you claimed that they had seen visions [from Yahweh], but what they said was false and worthless. They did not save you from being (exiled/forced to go to other countries), because they did not proclaim that you had sinned. Instead, the messages that they gave you deceived you [because] they were not true.
15 Wɔn a wɔtwam wo ɛkwan soɔ nyinaa bobɔ wɔn nsam gu wo so; wɔdi wo ho fɛ na wɔwoso wɔn tiri gu Yerusalem Ɔbabaa so ka sɛ, “Yei ne kuropɔn a na wɔfrɛ no ahoɔfɛ a ɛdi mu no? Asase nyinaa anigyedeɛ no nie?”
All those who pass by you make fun of [IDM] you; they shake their heads and they hiss/sneer at you. [They say], “Is this that great city of Jerusalem? Is it the city that was the most beautiful city in the world, the city that caused all [the people on] the earth to be joyful?”
16 Wʼatamfoɔ nyinaa baeɛ wɔn anom kakraa tia wo; wɔsere na wɔtwɛre wɔn se na wɔka sɛ, “Yɛamene no. Ɛda a na yɛretwɛn no nie; Yɛatena ase ahunu.”
[Now] all our enemies scoff [IDM] at you; they hiss/sneer [at you] and gnash their teeth [to show that they hate you]. They say, “We have destroyed them! This is what we longed/waited for, and now it has happened!”
17 Awurade ayɛ deɛ ɔhyehyɛeɛ; wama nʼasɛm a ɔhyɛɛ dadaada no aba mu. Watu wo agu a wanhunu wo mmɔbɔ, wama ɔtamfoɔ no ani agye wama wʼatamfoɔ no mmɛn so.
Yahweh has done what he planned; long ago he threatened to destroy you, and [now] he has done it. He has destroyed [your city] without acting mercifully [toward you]; he has enabled your enemies to he happy about defeating you; he has enabled your enemies to [continually] become stronger.
18 Nnipa no akoma su frɛ Awurade. Ao, Sion Ɔbabaa fasuo, ma wo nisuo nsene sɛ asubɔnten awia ne anadwo; nnye wʼahome mma wʼani nso nnya ahomeɛ.
I wish/desire that the walls of Jerusalem [APO] would cry out to Yahweh! You people of Jerusalem [MET], Cry day and night! Let your tears flow like rivers. Do not stop grieving; do not stop crying.
19 Sɔre, su denden anadwo ɔdasuom mfitiaseɛ; hwie wʼakoma mu nsɛm sɛ nsuo gu Awurade anim. Ma wo nsa so kyerɛ no wo mma nkwa enti, wɔn a ɛkɔm ama wʼatotɔ baha wɔ mmɔntene so.
Get up [every] night and cry out; tell Yahweh what you are feeling. Raise your arms to plead to him to act mercifully to prevent our children from dying; they are fainting on the street corners because they have no food to eat.
20 “Hwɛ na dwene ho, Ao, Awurade: Hwan na wode no afa saa ɛkwan yi so pɛn? Ɛsɛ sɛ mmaa we wɔn yafunu mma nam anaa, mma a wɔahwɛ wɔn? Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum ɔsɔfoɔ ne odiyifoɔ wɔ Awurade kronkronbea anaa?
Yahweh, look, and think [about it]! Have you ever [RHQ] caused people to suffer like this before? [It is certainly not right that] [RHQ] women are eating the flesh of their own children, the children whom they have always taken care of! [It is not right that] [RHQ] priests and prophets are being killed in your own temple!
21 “Mmɔfra ne mpanin adeda abɔ mu mfuturo mu wɔ mmɔntene so, me mmeranteɛ ne mmabaawa atotɔ wɔ akofena ano. Wakum wɔn wɔ wʼabufuo da; wayam wɔn na wannya ahummɔborɔ.
[The corpses of] people of all ages lie in the streets; [there are even corpses of] young men and young women who have been killed by [our enemies’] swords. Because you were very angry, you caused them to be killed; you have slaughtered them without pitying them [at all].
22 “Sɛdeɛ wotoo wo nsa frɛ wɔ apontoɔ da no, saa ara na wofrɛfrɛɛ amanehunu firi afanan nyinaa tiaa me. Awurade abufuo da no, obiara annwane na obiara anka: wɔn a mehwɛɛ wɔn na metetee wɔn no, me ɔtamfoɔ adwerɛ wɔn.”
You summoned our enemies to attack us from every direction, as though you were calling/inviting them to come to a feast. At that time when [you showed that] you were very angry, no one escaped. Our enemies murdered [our little children, ] ones whom we took care of and reared/brought up.
