Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Mene ɔbarima a mahu amane wɔ nʼabufuw abaa ano.
2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
Wapam me afi ne ho ama manantew sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
3 Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, da mu nyinaa.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
Wama me were ne me nam anyin Na wabubu me nnompe.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
Waka me ahyɛ mu, na watua me ano ɔde nweenwen ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
6 He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
Wama matena sum mu sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dedaw no.
7 He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
Wato ɔfasu atwa me ho ahyia enti mintumi nguan; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ beraw.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpae srɛ mmoa a osiw me mpaebɔ ano.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
Ɔde abotan asiw me kwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛw,
11 He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
ɔtwee me fii ɔkwan no mu bebaree me na ogyaw me a minni mmoa biara.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Okuntun ne ta mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
13 He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
Ɔde bɛmma a efi ne kotoku mu hwirew me koma mu.
14 I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
Meyɛɛ akyiwade maa me nkurɔfo nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw da mu nyinaa.
15 He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
Ɔde nhaban nweenwen ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
Ɔde mmosea abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfutuma mu.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
Wɔama asomdwoe abɔ me; na me werɛ afi yiyedi.
18 I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”
Enti mise, “Mʼanuonyam asa, nea mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyinakyinkyin mu, nweenwen ne bɔnwoma mu.
20 My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
Mekae yiye, na me kra abotow wɔ me mu.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
Nanso midwen eyi ho; saa nti mewɔ anidaso.
22 It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.
Awurade dɔ kɛse nti yɛnsɛee ɛ. Nʼayamhyehye nni huammɔ.
23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Ɛyɛ foforo anɔpa biara; wo nokwaredi yɛ kɛse.
24 “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
Meka kyerɛ me ho se, “Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
25 Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Awurade ye ma wɔn a wɔn anidaso wɔ ne mu, onipa a ɔhwehwɛ no no;
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.
Eye sɛ wɔyɛ komm de twɛn Awurade nkwagye.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Eye ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa konnua no wɔ ne mmerantebere mu.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
Ma ɔntena ase komm, efisɛ Awurade de ato ne so.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfutuma mu, ebia anidaso wɔ hɔ.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma nea ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwu.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
Na Awurade ntow onipa biara nkyene koraa.
32 For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde awerɛhow ba de, nanso obenya ayamhyehye. Ne dɔ kɛse no to rentwa da.
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
Ofi amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhow brɛ nnipa mma.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛw nneduafo a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
35 to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
sɛ wotiatia obi ahofadi so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.
anaa sɛ wobu obi ntɛnkyew a, Awurade renhu saa nneɛma yi ana?
37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
Hena na obetumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ bere a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛe?
38 Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na mmusu ne nnepa fi ana?
39 Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefo nwiinwii bere a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.
Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
41 Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Momma yɛmma yɛn koma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka se:
42 “We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
“Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛatew atua na wamfa ankyɛ.
43 “You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
“Wode abufuw akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na woakunkum a woannya ahummɔbɔ.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu nti mpaebɔ biara nnu wo nkyɛn.
45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
Woayɛ yɛn atantanne ne nwura wɔ amanaman no mu.
46 “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
“Yɛn atamfo nyinaa abaa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
47 Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhwease, mmubui ne ɔsɛe.”
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Me nusu sen sɛ asuten efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo.
49 My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
Me nusu bɛsen ara, na ɛrennyae,
50 until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.
kosi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afi ɔsoro, na wahu.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Nea mihu no ma me kra werɛ how, me kuropɔn no mu mmea nyinaa nti.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
Mʼatamfo a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wotwa me nkwa so na wosiw me abo wɔ amoa mu;
54 Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
nsu bu faa me ti so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛnea wɔrewie me.
55 I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
Mebɔɔ wo din, Awurade fii amoa no ase tɔnn.
56 You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsiw wʼaso wɔ me gye sufrɛ ho.”
57 You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Wutwiw bɛn me bere a mefrɛɛ wo no, na wokae se, “Nsuro.”
58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
Wo Awurade, wudii mʼasɛm maa me; na wugyee me nkwa.
59 Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
Woahu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
Woahu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
61 You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their plans against me,
Awurade, woate wɔn ntwirii, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
62 the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
nea mʼatamfo ka no asomsɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
63 You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ anaasɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
64 You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.
Fa nea ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Awurade, nea wɔn nsa ayɛ nti.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
Pirim wɔn koma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.
Fa abufuw taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn fi Awurade ɔsorosoro ase.
