Kwadwom 3
1 Mene ɔbarima a mahu amane wɔ nʼabufuw abaa ano.
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 Wapam me afi ne ho ama manantew sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me mpɛn bebree, da mu nyinaa.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 Wama me were ne me nam anyin Na wabubu me nnompe.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 Waka me ahyɛ mu, na watua me ano ɔde nweenwen ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 Wama matena sum mu sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dedaw no.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 Wato ɔfasu atwa me ho ahyia enti mintumi nguan; wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ beraw.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpae srɛ mmoa a osiw me mpaebɔ ano.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 Ɔde abotan asiw me kwan; wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn, te sɛ gyata a watɛw,
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 ɔtwee me fii ɔkwan no mu bebaree me na ogyaw me a minni mmoa biara.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 Okuntun ne ta mu na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 Ɔde bɛmma a efi ne kotoku mu hwirew me koma mu.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 Meyɛɛ akyiwade maa me nkurɔfo nyinaa; wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw da mu nyinaa.
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 Ɔde nhaban nweenwen ahyɛ me ma. Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 Ɔde mmosea abubu me se; na watiatia me so wɔ mfutuma mu.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 Wɔama asomdwoe abɔ me; na me werɛ afi yiyedi.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 Enti mise, “Mʼanuonyam asa, nea mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyinakyinkyin mu, nweenwen ne bɔnwoma mu.
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 Mekae yiye, na me kra abotow wɔ me mu.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 Nanso midwen eyi ho; saa nti mewɔ anidaso.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 Awurade dɔ kɛse nti yɛnsɛee ɛ. Nʼayamhyehye nni huammɔ.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 Ɛyɛ foforo anɔpa biara; wo nokwaredi yɛ kɛse.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 Meka kyerɛ me ho se, “Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 Awurade ye ma wɔn a wɔn anidaso wɔ ne mu, onipa a ɔhwehwɛ no no;
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 Eye sɛ wɔyɛ komm de twɛn Awurade nkwagye.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 Eye ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa konnua no wɔ ne mmerantebere mu.
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 Ma ɔntena ase komm, efisɛ Awurade de ato ne so.
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfutuma mu, ebia anidaso wɔ hɔ.
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma nea ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no no na ɔnhyɛ no aniwu.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 Na Awurade ntow onipa biara nkyene koraa.
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde awerɛhow ba de, nanso obenya ayamhyehye. Ne dɔ kɛse no to rentwa da.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 Ofi amemenemfe mu de amanehunu anaa awerɛhow brɛ nnipa mma.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛw nneduafo a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 sɛ wotiatia obi ahofadi so wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
36 anaa sɛ wobu obi ntɛnkyew a, Awurade renhu saa nneɛma yi ana?
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Hena na obetumi aka na wama aba mu wɔ bere a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛe?
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom na mmusu ne nnepa fi ana?
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefo nwiinwii bere a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ, na yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 Momma yɛmma yɛn koma ne yɛn nsa so, nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka se:
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 “Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛatew atua na wamfa ankyɛ.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 “Wode abufuw akata wo ho ataa yɛn; na woakunkum a woannya ahummɔbɔ.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu nti mpaebɔ biara nnu wo nkyɛn.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 Woayɛ yɛn atantanne ne nwura wɔ amanaman no mu.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 “Yɛn atamfo nyinaa abaa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ de tia yɛn.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhwease, mmubui ne ɔsɛe.”
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Me nusu sen sɛ asuten efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo.
Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Me nusu bɛsen ara, na ɛrennyae,
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 kosi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ afi ɔsoro, na wahu.
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 Nea mihu no ma me kra werɛ how, me kuropɔn no mu mmea nyinaa nti.
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mʼatamfo a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee pampam me sɛ anomaa.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wotwa me nkwa so na wosiw me abo wɔ amoa mu;
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 nsu bu faa me ti so, na ɛyɛɛ me sɛnea wɔrewie me.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 Mebɔɔ wo din, Awurade fii amoa no ase tɔnn.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsiw wʼaso wɔ me gye sufrɛ ho.”
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 Wutwiw bɛn me bere a mefrɛɛ wo no, na wokae se, “Nsuro.”
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 Wo Awurade, wudii mʼasɛm maa me; na wugyee me nkwa.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 Woahu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Awurade. Di mʼasɛm ma me!
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 Woahu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 Awurade, woate wɔn ntwirii, wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 nea mʼatamfo ka no asomsɛm na wɔka no brɛoo de tia me da mu nyinaa.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ anaasɛ wɔtete hɔ, wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 Fa nea ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Awurade, nea wɔn nsa ayɛ nti.
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 Pirim wɔn koma, na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 Fa abufuw taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn fi Awurade ɔsorosoro ase.
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
