1Mene ɔbarima a mahu amane
wɔ nʼabufuw abaa ano.
2Wapam me afi ne ho ama manantew
sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
3Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me
mpɛn bebree, da mu nyinaa.
4Wama me were ne me nam anyin
Na wabubu me nnompe.
5Waka me ahyɛ mu, na watua me ano
ɔde nweenwen ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
6Wama matena sum mu
sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dedaw no.
7Wato ɔfasu atwa me ho ahyia enti mintumi nguan;
wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ beraw.
8Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpae srɛ mmoa a
osiw me mpaebɔ ano.
9Ɔde abotan asiw me kwan;
wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
10Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn,
te sɛ gyata a watɛw,
11ɔtwee me fii ɔkwan no mu bebaree me
na ogyaw me a minni mmoa biara.
12Okuntun ne ta mu
na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
13Ɔde bɛmma a efi ne kotoku mu
hwirew me koma mu.
14Meyɛɛ akyiwade maa me nkurɔfo nyinaa;
wɔto akutia nnwom
de di me ho fɛw da mu nyinaa.
15Ɔde nhaban nweenwen ahyɛ me ma.
Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
16Ɔde mmosea abubu me se;
na watiatia me so wɔ mfutuma mu.
17Wɔama asomdwoe abɔ me;
na me werɛ afi yiyedi.
18Enti mise, “Mʼanuonyam asa,
nea mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
19Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyinakyinkyin mu,
nweenwen ne bɔnwoma mu.
20Mekae yiye,
na me kra abotow wɔ me mu.
21Nanso midwen eyi ho;
saa nti mewɔ anidaso.
22Awurade dɔ kɛse nti yɛnsɛee ɛ.
Nʼayamhyehye nni huammɔ.
23Ɛyɛ foforo anɔpa biara;
wo nokwaredi yɛ kɛse.
24Meka kyerɛ me ho se,
“Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
25Awurade ye ma wɔn a wɔn anidaso wɔ ne mu,
onipa a ɔhwehwɛ no no;
26Eye sɛ wɔyɛ komm
de twɛn Awurade nkwagye.
27Eye ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa konnua no
wɔ ne mmerantebere mu.
28Ma ɔntena ase komm,
efisɛ Awurade de ato ne so.
29Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfutuma mu,
ebia anidaso wɔ hɔ.
30Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma nea ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no no
na ɔnhyɛ no aniwu.
31Na Awurade ntow onipa biara nkyene koraa.
32Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde awerɛhow ba de, nanso obenya ayamhyehye.
Ne dɔ kɛse no to rentwa da.
33Ofi amemenemfe mu de amanehunu
anaa awerɛhow brɛ nnipa mma.
34Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛw
nneduafo a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
35sɛ wotiatia obi ahofadi so
wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
36anaa sɛ wobu obi ntɛnkyew a,
Awurade renhu saa nneɛma yi ana?
37Hena na obetumi aka na wama aba mu
wɔ bere a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛe?
38Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom
na mmusu ne nnepa fi ana?
39Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefo nwiinwii
bere a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
40Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ,
na yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
41Momma yɛmma yɛn koma ne yɛn nsa so,
nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka se:
42“Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛatew atua
na wamfa ankyɛ.
43“Wode abufuw akata wo ho ataa yɛn;
na woakunkum a woannya ahummɔbɔ.
44Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu
nti mpaebɔ biara nnu wo nkyɛn.
45Woayɛ yɛn atantanne ne nwura
wɔ amanaman no mu.
46“Yɛn atamfo nyinaa abaa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ
de tia yɛn.
47Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhwease,
mmubui ne ɔsɛe.”
48Me nusu sen sɛ asuten
efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo.
49Me nusu bɛsen ara,
na ɛrennyae,
50kosi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ
afi ɔsoro, na wahu.
51Nea mihu no ma me kra werɛ how,
me kuropɔn no mu mmea nyinaa nti.
52Mʼatamfo a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee
pampam me sɛ anomaa.
53Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wotwa me nkwa so
na wosiw me abo wɔ amoa mu;
54nsu bu faa me ti so,
na ɛyɛɛ me sɛnea wɔrewie me.
55Mebɔɔ wo din, Awurade
fii amoa no ase tɔnn.
56Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsiw wʼaso
wɔ me gye sufrɛ ho.”
57Wutwiw bɛn me bere a mefrɛɛ wo no,
na wokae se, “Nsuro.”
58Wo Awurade, wudii mʼasɛm maa me;
na wugyee me nkwa.
59Woahu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Awurade.
Di mʼasɛm ma me!
60Woahu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den,
wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
61Awurade, woate wɔn ntwirii,
wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
62nea mʼatamfo ka no asomsɛm na wɔka no brɛoo
de tia me da mu nyinaa.
63Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ anaasɛ wɔtete hɔ,
wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
64Fa nea ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Awurade,
nea wɔn nsa ayɛ nti.
65Pirim wɔn koma,
na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
66Fa abufuw taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn
fi Awurade ɔsorosoro ase.
This chapter is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the verses within each stanza begin with the same letter. 1I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.
2He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
3indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
5He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
6He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.
7He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
8Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
9He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.
10Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
11he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
12He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
13He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
14I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
15He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.
16He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
17I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”
19I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
29Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
30Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
31For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
32Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
33For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
34To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
35to deny people their rights
before the Most High,
36to deprive them of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?
37Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
39Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?
40Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
41Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
42“We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.
43“You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.
44You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.
45You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.
46“All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide against us.
47We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.”
48Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.
49My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
50until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
51What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.
52Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
53They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
54the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to perish.
55I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the pit.
56You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
57You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”
58You, Lord, took up my case;
you redeemed my life.
59Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!
60You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.
61Lord, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me—
62what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.
63Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.
64Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
for what their hands have done.
65Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!
66Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the Lord.
