Kwadwom 3
1 Mene ɔbarima a mahunu amane wɔ nʼabufuo abaa ano.
I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
2 Wapam me afiri ne ho ama manante sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
[It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
3 Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, ɛda mu nyinaa.
He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
4 Wama me wedeɛ ne me nam anyini Na wabubu me nnompe.
He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
5 Waka me ahyɛ mu, ɔde nwononwono ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
6 Wama matena esum mu sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dada no.
[It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
7 Wato ɔfasuo atwa me ho ahyia enti mentumi nnwane; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ baha.
[It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
8 Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpaeɛ srɛ mmoa a ɔsi me mpaeɛbɔ ano.
Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
9 Ɔde abotan asi me ɛkwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
[It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
10 Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛ,
He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
11 ɔtwee me firi ɛkwan no mu dwerɛɛ me na ɔgyaa me a menni mmoa biara.
[It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
12 Ɔkuntunuu ne tadua mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
[It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
13 Ɔde bɛmma a ɛfiri ne kotokuo mu hwiree mʼakoma mu.
[It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
14 Meyɛɛ asredeɛ maa me nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛ ɛda mu nyinaa.
All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
15 Ɔde nhahan nwononwono ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
16 Ɔde aboseaa abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfuturo mu.
[It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
17 Wɔama asomdwoeɛ abɔ me; na mewerɛ afiri yiedie.
Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
18 Enti mese, “Mʼanimuonyam asa, deɛ mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
19 Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyini mu, nwononwono ne bɔnwoma mu.
When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
20 Mekae yie, na me kra aboto wɔ me mu.
I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
21 Nanso, mekae yei ne saa enti, mewɔ anidasoɔ.
However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
22 Awurade dɔ kɛseɛ enti yɛnnsɛeɛ. Nʼayamhyehyeɛ nni hwammɔ.
Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
23 Ɛyɛ foforɔ anɔpa biara; wo nokorɛdie yɛ kɛseɛ.
[He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
24 Meka kyerɛ me ho sɛ, “Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
[So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
25 Awurade yɛ ma wɔn a wɔn anidasoɔ wɔ ne mu, onipa a ɔhwehwɛ noɔ no;
Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
26 Ɛyɛ sɛ wɔyɛ komm de twɛn Awurade nkwagyeɛ.
[So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
27 Ɛyɛ ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa kɔnnua no wɔ ne mmeranteɛ ɛberɛ mu.
And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
28 Ma ɔntena ase komm, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade de ato no so.
Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
29 Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfuturo mu, ebia anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ.
They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
30 Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma deɛ ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwuo.
If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
31 Na Awurade nto nnipa ntwene koraa.
Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
32 Ɛwom, ɔde awerɛhoɔ ba deɛ, nanso ɔbɛnya ayamhyehyeɛ. Ne dɔ kɛseɛ no to rentwa da.
Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
33 Ɔfiri amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhoɔ brɛ nnipa mma.
And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
34 Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛ nneduafoɔ a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
35 sɛ wɔtiatia obi ahofadie so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
36 anaa sɛ wɔbu obi ntɛnkyea a, Awurade nhunu saa nneɛma yi anaa?
or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
37 Hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ ɛberɛ a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛeɛ?
No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
38 Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na musuo ne nnepa firi anaa?
God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
39 Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefoɔ nwiinwii ɛberɛ a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
[So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
40 Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsane nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
41 Momma yɛmma yɛn akoma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka sɛ:
We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
42 “Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛate atua na woamfa ankyɛ.
“We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
43 “Wode abufuo akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na wakunkum a woannya ahummɔborɔ.
You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
44 Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu enti mpaeɛbɔ biara nnuru wo nkyɛn.
You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
45 Woayɛ yɛn atantanneɛ ne wira wɔ amanaman no mu.
You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
46 “Yɛn atamfoɔ nyinaa abae wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
All our enemies have insulted us.
47 Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhweaseɛ, mmubuiɛ ne ɔsɛeɛ.”
We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
48 Me nisuo sene sɛ asutene ɛfiri sɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfoɔ.
I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
49 Me nisuo bɛsene ara, na ɛrennyae,
My tears continually flow; they will not stop
50 kɔsi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afiri ɔsoro, na wahu.
until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
51 Deɛ mehunu no ma me kra werɛ ho me kuropɔn no mu mmaa nyinaa enti.
I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
52 Mʼatamfoɔ a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
53 Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔtwa me nkwa so na wɔsi me aboɔ wɔ amena mu;
They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
54 nsuo bu faa me tiri so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛdeɛ wɔrewie me.
The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
55 Mebɔɔ wo din, Ao Awurade firi amena no ase tɔnn.
But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
56 Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsi wʼaso wɔ me gyeɛ sufrɛ ho.”
I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
57 Wotwe bɛnee me ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ woɔ no, na wokaa sɛ, “Nsuro.”
Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
58 Ao Awurade, wodii mʼasɛm maa me; na wogyee me nkwa.
Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
59 Woahunu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Ao Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
[Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
60 Woahunu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔ a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
61 Ao Awurade, woate wɔn sopa, wɔn pɔ a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
62 deɛ mʼatamfoɔ ka no sɛ asomusɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
63 Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wɔgyinagyina hɔ anaa sɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
64 Fa deɛ ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Ao Awurade, deɛ wɔn nsa ayɛ enti.
Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
65 Pirim wɔn akoma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
66 Fa abufuo taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn firi Awurade sorosoro ase.
Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
