Nnwom 121

1 Ɔsoroforɔ dwom. Mema mʼani so kyerɛ mmepɔ no, ɛhe na me mmoa firi bɛba?

[When we travel toward Jerusalem], I look up toward the hills [and I ask myself], “Who will help me?”

2 Me mmoa firi Awurade, ɔsoro ne asase yɛfoɔ no.

[And my answer is] that Yahweh is the one who helps me; he is the one who made heaven and the earth.

3 Ɔremma wo nan nwatiri, deɛ ɔhwɛ wo no, ɔrentɔ nko.

He will not allow us to fall/stumble; God, who protects us, will not fall asleep.

4 Ampa ara deɛ ɔhwɛ Israel no rentɔ nko na ɔrenna.

The one who protects us Israeli people never gets sleepy, nor does he sleep [LIT].

5 Awurade hwɛ wo so; Awurade ne wo nwunu wɔ wo nsa nifa so;

Yahweh watches over us; he is like the shade [MET] [that protects us from the sun].

6 Owia renhye wo wɔ awiaberɛ mu, na ɔsrane nso renha wo anadwo.

[He will not allow] the sun to harm us during the day, and [he will not allow] the moon to harm us during the night.

7 Awurade bɛbɔ wo ho ban afiri ɔhaw nyinaa ho, ɔbɛhwɛ wo nkwa so;

Yahweh will protect us from being harmed in any manner; he will keep us safe.

8 Awurade bɛhwɛ wʼadifire ne wo efieba so, seesei ne daa.

He will protect us from the time that we leave [our houses in the morning] until we return [in the evening]; he will protect us now, and he will protect us forever.