Kwadwom 3
1 Mene ɔbarima a mahunu amane wɔ nʼabufuo abaa ano.
I am a man who has seen misery under the rod of Yahweh's fury.
2 Wapam me afiri ne ho ama manante sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
He drove me away and caused me to walk in darkness rather than light.
3 Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, ɛda mu nyinaa.
Surely he turned his hand against me again and again, the whole day long.
4 Wama me wedeɛ ne me nam anyini Na wabubu me nnompe.
He made my flesh and my skin waste away; he broke my bones.
5 Waka me ahyɛ mu, ɔde nwononwono ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
He built up siege works against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 Wama matena esum mu sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dada no.
He made me live in dark places, like those who died long ago.
7 Wato ɔfasuo atwa me ho ahyia enti mentumi nnwane; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ baha.
He built a wall around me and I cannot escape. He made my chains heavy
8 Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpaeɛ srɛ mmoa a ɔsi me mpaeɛbɔ ano.
and though I call out and cry for help, he shut out my prayer.
9 Ɔde abotan asi me ɛkwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
He blocked my path with a wall of hewn stone; he made my paths crooked.
10 Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛ,
He is like a bear waiting to ambush me, a lion in hiding;
11 ɔtwee me firi ɛkwan no mu dwerɛɛ me na ɔgyaa me a menni mmoa biara.
he turned aside my paths, he has made me desolate.
12 Ɔkuntunuu ne tadua mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
He bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow.
13 Ɔde bɛmma a ɛfiri ne kotokuo mu hwiree mʼakoma mu.
He pierced my kidneys with the arrows of his quiver.
14 Meyɛɛ asredeɛ maa me nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛ ɛda mu nyinaa.
I became a laughingstock to all my people, the object of their taunting all day long.
15 Ɔde nhahan nwononwono ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
He filled me with bitterness and forced me to drink wormwood.
16 Ɔde aboseaa abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfuturo mu.
He has made my teeth grind with gravel, and he made me cower in the ashes.
17 Wɔama asomdwoeɛ abɔ me; na mewerɛ afiri yiedie.
My soul is deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is.
18 Enti mese, “Mʼanimuonyam asa, deɛ mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
So I say, “My endurance has perished and so has my hope in Yahweh.”
19 Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyini mu, nwononwono ne bɔnwoma mu.
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Mekae yie, na me kra aboto wɔ me mu.
I continually remember it and I am bowed down within me.
21 Nanso, mekae yei ne saa enti, mewɔ anidasoɔ.
But I call this to mind and therefore I have hope:
22 Awurade dɔ kɛseɛ enti yɛnnsɛeɛ. Nʼayamhyehyeɛ nni hwammɔ.
The steadfast love of Yahweh never ceases and his compassions never end,
23 Ɛyɛ foforɔ anɔpa biara; wo nokorɛdie yɛ kɛseɛ.
they are new every morning; your faithfulness is great.
24 Meka kyerɛ me ho sɛ, “Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
“Yahweh is my inheritance,” I said, therefore I will hope in him.
25 Awurade yɛ ma wɔn a wɔn anidasoɔ wɔ ne mu, onipa a ɔhwehwɛ noɔ no;
Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the one who seeks him.
26 Ɛyɛ sɛ wɔyɛ komm de twɛn Awurade nkwagyeɛ.
It is good to wait silently for the salvation of Yahweh.
27 Ɛyɛ ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa kɔnnua no wɔ ne mmeranteɛ ɛberɛ mu.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Ma ɔntena ase komm, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade de ato no so.
Let him sit alone in silence, when it is laid upon him.
29 Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfuturo mu, ebia anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ.
Let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope.
30 Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma deɛ ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwuo.
Let him offer his cheek to the one who strikes him, and let him be filled to the full with reproach.
31 Na Awurade nto nnipa ntwene koraa.
For the Lord will not reject us forever,
32 Ɛwom, ɔde awerɛhoɔ ba deɛ, nanso ɔbɛnya ayamhyehyeɛ. Ne dɔ kɛseɛ no to rentwa da.
but though he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
33 Ɔfiri amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhoɔ brɛ nnipa mma.
For he does not afflict from his heart or torment the children of mankind.
34 Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛ nneduafoɔ a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 sɛ wɔtiatia obi ahofadie so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High,
36 anaa sɛ wɔbu obi ntɛnkyea a, Awurade nhunu saa nneɛma yi anaa?
to deny justice to a person—the Lord would not approve such things!
37 Hwan na ɔbɛtumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ ɛberɛ a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛeɛ?
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord decreed it?
38 Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na musuo ne nnepa firi anaa?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and the good come?
39 Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefoɔ nwiinwii ɛberɛ a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
How can any person alive complain? How can a person complain about the punishment for his sins?
40 Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsane nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to Yahweh.
41 Momma yɛmma yɛn akoma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka sɛ:
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in the heavens:
42 “Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛate atua na woamfa ankyɛ.
“We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven.
43 “Wode abufuo akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na wakunkum a woannya ahummɔborɔ.
You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us, you have killed and you have not spared.
44 Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu enti mpaeɛbɔ biara nnuru wo nkyɛn.
You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Woayɛ yɛn atantanneɛ ne wira wɔ amanaman no mu.
You have made us like filthy scum and refuse among the nations.
46 “Yɛn atamfoɔ nyinaa abae wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
All our enemies curse us,
47 Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhweaseɛ, mmubuiɛ ne ɔsɛeɛ.”
panic and pitfall have come upon us, ruin and destruction.
48 Me nisuo sene sɛ asutene ɛfiri sɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfoɔ.
My eyes flow with streams of tears because my people are destroyed.
49 Me nisuo bɛsene ara, na ɛrennyae,
My eyes will shed tears without ceasing, without relief,
50 kɔsi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afiri ɔsoro, na wahu.
until Yahweh from heaven looks down and sees.
51 Deɛ mehunu no ma me kra werɛ ho me kuropɔn no mu mmaa nyinaa enti.
My eyes cause me grief because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mʼatamfoɔ a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies; they hunted me without a reason.
53 Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔtwa me nkwa so na wɔsi me aboɔ wɔ amena mu;
They cast me into a pit and they threw a stone on me,
54 nsuo bu faa me tiri so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛdeɛ wɔrewie me.
and they caused waters to overflow, covering my head. I said, 'I have been cut off!'
55 Mebɔɔ wo din, Ao Awurade firi amena no ase tɔnn.
I called on your name, Yahweh, from the depths of the pit.
56 Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsi wʼaso wɔ me gyeɛ sufrɛ ho.”
You heard my voice when I said, 'Do not close your ear to my cry for help.'
57 Wotwe bɛnee me ɛberɛ a mefrɛɛ woɔ no, na wokaa sɛ, “Nsuro.”
You came near on the day I called on you; you said, 'Do not fear.'
58 Ao Awurade, wodii mʼasɛm maa me; na wogyee me nkwa.
Lord, you defended my case, you saved my life!
59 Woahunu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Ao Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
Yahweh, you have seen the wrong they have done to me; judge my case.
60 Woahunu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔ a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
You have seen their insults, all their plots against me—
61 Ao Awurade, woate wɔn sopa, wɔn pɔ a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
You have heard their scorn, Yahweh, and all their plans regarding me.
62 deɛ mʼatamfoɔ ka no sɛ asomusɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
The lips and the accusations of my enemies come against me all the day.
63 Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wɔgyinagyina hɔ anaa sɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
Look at how they sit and then rise up; they mock me with their songs.
64 Fa deɛ ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Ao Awurade, deɛ wɔn nsa ayɛ enti.
Pay back to them, Yahweh, according to what they have done.
65 Pirim wɔn akoma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
You will let their hearts be shameless! May your condemnation be upon them!
66 Fa abufuo taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn firi Awurade sorosoro ase.
You pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens, Yahweh!”
