Kwadwom 4
1 Sɛdeɛ sikakɔkɔɔ a anka ɛhyerɛn no nie? Sikakɔkɔɔ amapa no ho abiri! Wɔatoto aboɔdemmoɔ kronkron apete wɔ mmɔntene biara so.
How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
2 Hwɛ sɛdeɛ Sion mmammarima a wɔdi mu na anka wɔsom bo sɛ sika kɔkɔɔ no ayɛ, seesei wɔfa wɔn sɛ dɔteɛ nkukuo, ɔnwomfoɔ nsa ano adwuma!
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3 Mpo sakraman yi wɔn nufoɔ ma wɔn mma enum, nanso me nkurɔfoɔ ayɛ atirimuɔdenfoɔ sɛ sohori a ɔwɔ ɛserɛ so.
Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 Osukɔm enti, akokoaa tɛkrɛma fam ne dodo mu; mmɔfra no su pɛ aduane, nanso obiara mfa mma wɔn.
The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
5 Wɔn a na anka wɔdi nnuane pa no ohia buruburo aka wɔn wɔ mmɔntene so. Wɔn a wɔde serekye tetee wɔn no seesei wɔdeda nso nkɔfie so.
They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6 Me nkurɔfoɔ asotwe so sene Sodom a wɔtuu wɔn mpofirim no deɛ, a wɔannya ɔboafoɔ biara no.
For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
7 Na wɔn ahenemma ho twa sene sukyerɛmma, na wɔhoa sene nufosuo, na wɔn onipadua no bere na ɛwɔ ahoɔden te sɛ abohemaa, na wɔte sɛ aboɔdemmoɔ.
Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
8 Nanso, seesei deɛ, wɔbiri sene wisiapunu; na wɔnhunu wɔn yie wɔ mmɔntene so. Wɔn wedeɛ atwintwam wɔ wɔn nnompe so; ɛho awo wesee sɛ abaa.
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
9 Wɔn a wɔtotɔ wɔ akofena ano no yɛ koraa sene wɔn a ɛkɔm kunkumm wɔn; ɛkɔm tware wɔn, ma wɔwuwu ɛsiane aduane a ɛnni mfuo so enti.
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
10 Mmaa a wɔwɔ ayamhyehyeɛ de wɔn nsa anoa wɔn ankasa mma, ayɛ wɔn aduane ɛberɛ a wɔsɛee me nkurɔfoɔ no.
The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Awurade ada nʼabufuhyeɛ nyinaa adi; wahwie nʼabufuo a ano yɛ den no. Ɔsɔɔ ogya ano wɔ Sion ma ɛhyee ne fapem.
YHWH hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 Asase so ahemfo annye anni, ewiase mu nnipa nso annye anni sɛ atamfoɔ bɛtumi ahyɛne Yerusalem apono mu.
The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Nanso ɛsiiɛ, nʼadiyifoɔ no bɔne ne nʼasɔfoɔ amumuyɛ enti, wɔn na wɔhwiee teneneefoɔ mogya guu wɔ kuropɔn no mu.
For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
14 Afei wɔkeka wɔ mmɔntene so te sɛ nnipa a wɔn ani afira. Mogya a ama wɔn ho agu fi no enti obiara suro sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛka wɔn ntadeɛ.
They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15 Nnipa teateaam gu wɔn so sɛ, “Momfiri ha nkɔ! Mo ho nnte! Monkɔ, monkɔ! Mommfa mo ho nka yɛn.” Sɛ wɔdwane kɔnenam a amanaman no mu nnipa ka sɛ, “Wɔrentumi ntena ha bio.”
They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
16 Awurade ankasa abɔ wɔn ahwete; nʼani nni wɔn so bio. Wɔmmfa anidie mma asɔfoɔ, na wɔn ani nnsɔ mpanimfoɔ.
The anger of YHWH hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
17 Deɛ ɛka ho bio, yɛn ani anni ammoa yɛn, yɛpɛɛ sɛ yɛbɛnya mmoa, nanso ɛyɛɛ ɔkwa; yɛfiri yɛn abantenten so de yɛn ani too ɔman a wɔrentumi nnye yɛn so.
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
18 Nnipa dii yɛn ntɛntɛ wɔ yɛn anammɔntuo mu, enti yɛantumi annante yɛn mmɔntene so. Yɛn awieeɛ bɛneeɛ, na wɔkanee yɛn nna, ɛfiri sɛ na yɛn awieeɛ aduru so.
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Yɛn ataafoɔ ho yɛ hare sene akɔdeɛ a wɔwɔ ewiem; wɔtaa yɛn faa mmepɔ so na wɔtɛɛ yɛn wɔ ɛserɛ so.
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 Deɛ Awurade asra no ngo, yɛn ankasa yɛn nkwa no, ɔtɔɔ wɔn mfidie mu. Yɛgye dii sɛ ne nwunu ase yɛbɛnya nkwa wɔ amanaman no mu.
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of YHWH, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
21 Di ahurisie na ma wʼani nnye, Ao Edom Ɔbabaa, wo a wote Us asase so. Wɔde kuruwa no bɛma wo nso bi; wobɛboro na wɔabɔ wo adagya.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
22 Ao Ɔbabaa Sion, wʼasotwe bɛba awieeɛ; ɔremma wonkɔ so ntena nnommumfa mu. Nanso, Ao Ɔbabaa Edom, ɔbɛtua wo bɔne so ka na wada wʼamumuyɛ adi.
The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
