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 hallowed stones are cast forth at the head 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 noble 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.
The very jackals reach forth the breast; they suckle their young; But the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches of the desert.
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; Young children ask for bread, and no man breaketh it for 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.
Those that fed on dainties are desolate in the streets; Those that have been brought up in scarlet embrace the dunghill.
6 Me nkurɔfoɔ asotwe so sene Sodom a wɔtuu wɔn mpofirim no deɛ, a wɔannya ɔboafoɔ biara no.
The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, though no hands came against 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 princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; More ruddy than coral was their body; Their visage 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.
Now darker than a coal is their countenance; they are not known in the streets. Their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is become dry, like wood.
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.
More fortunate are the slain by the sword than the slain by famine; 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 tender-hearted women cooked their own children; They were their food, 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.
Jehovah hath spent upon them his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger; He hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured its foundations.
12 Asase so ahemfo annye anni, ewiase mu nnipa nso annye anni sɛ atamfoɔ bɛtumi ahyɛne Yerusalem apono mu.
The kings of the earth believed not, nor all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary would enter, and the enemy, within the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Nanso ɛsiiɛ, nʼadiyifoɔ no bɔne ne nʼasɔfoɔ amumuyɛ enti, wɔn na wɔhwiee teneneefoɔ mogya guu wɔ kuropɔn no mu.
It was on account of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.
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 stumbled like blind men through the streets, polluted 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.”
“Depart! unclean!” men cried to them. “Depart, depart, touch not!” As they fled, they stumbled; men said among the nations, “They shall dwell there no more.”
16 Awurade ankasa abɔ wɔn ahwete; nʼani nni wɔn so bio. Wɔmmfa anidie mma asɔfoɔ, na wɔn ani nnsɔ mpanimfoɔ.
The anger of Jehovah hath scattered them; he will no more care for them; They paid no regard to the priests, they had no compassion for 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.
Still did our eyes fail, looking for help in vain; On our watch-tower did we watch 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 laid snares for our steps, so that we could not go in our streets; Our end is near; our days are accomplished, yea, 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.
Swifter were our pursuers than the eagles of heaven; They chased 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 Jehovah, was taken in their pits, Under whose shadow we said that we should live among the nations.
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! Yet to thee also shall the cup come! thou shalt be drunken, and shalt expose thy nakedness.
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.
Thy punishment is at an end, O daughter of Zion! no more will he carry thee into captivity; But thine iniquity will he punish, O daughter of Edom! he will uncover thy sins.
