1Hwɛ sɛnea sikakɔkɔɔ ayera ne hyerɛn no ni
Sikakɔkɔɔ ankasa na ho abiri saa!
Wɔatoto aboɔdemmo kronkron apete
wɔ abɔnten biara so.
2Hwɛ sɛnea Sion mmabarima a wodi mu
na anka wɔsom bo sɛ sikakɔkɔɔ no ayɛ,
mprempren wɔfa wɔn sɛ dɔte nkuku,
ɔnwemfo nsa ano adwuma!
3Mpo adompo yi wɔn nufu
ma wɔn mma num,
nanso me nkurɔfo ayɛ atirimɔdenfo
sɛ sohori a ɔwɔ sare so.
4Osukɔm nti, akokoaa tɛkrɛma
fam ne dodo mu;
mmofra no srɛ aduan,
nanso obiara mfa mma wɔn.
5Wɔn a na anka wodi nnuan pa no
ohia buruburoo aka wɔn wɔ mmɔnten so.
Wɔn a wɔde sirikyi tetew wɔn no
mprempren wɔdeda nso a wɔaboa ano so.
6Me nkurɔfo asotwe
so sen Sodom a
wotuu wɔn mpofirim no,
a wɔannya ɔboafo biara de.
7Na wɔn ahenemma ho twa sen sukyerɛmma,
na wɔnan sen nufusu,
na wɔn nipadua no bere, na ɛwɔ ahoɔden te sɛ abohemaa,
na wɔte sɛ hoabo.
8Nanso mprempren de, wobiri sen wusiw bɔtɔ;
na wonhu wɔn yiye wɔ mmɔnten so.
Wɔn were atwintwam wɔ wɔn nnompe so;
ho awo wosee sɛ abaa.
9Wɔn a wɔtotɔɔ wɔ afoa ano no ye koraa
sen wɔn a ɔkɔm kunkum wɔn;
ɔkɔm tware wɔn ma wowuwu,
esiane aduan a enni mfuw so nti.
10Mmea a wɔwɔ ayamhyehye
de wɔn nsa anoa wɔn ankasa mma,
ayɛ wɔn aduan,
bere a wɔsɛee me nkurɔfo no.
11Awurade ada nʼabufuwhyew nyinaa adi;
wahwie nʼabufuw a ano yɛ den no.
Ɔsɔɔ ogya ano wɔ Sion
ma ɛhyew ne fapem.
12Asase so ahemfo annye anni,
wiase mu nnipa nso annye anni
sɛ atamfo betumi ahyɛn
Yerusalem apon mu.
13Nanso esii, nʼadiyifo no bɔne
ne nʼasɔfo amumɔyɛ nti,
wɔn na wohwiee atreneefo mogya
guu wɔ kuropɔn no mu.
14Afei wɔkeka wɔ mmɔnten so
te sɛ nnipa a wɔn ani afura.
Mogya a ama wɔn ho agu fi no nti
obiara suro sɛ ɔde ne ho bɛka wɔn ntade.
15Nnipa teɛteɛɛ mu gu wɔn so se, “Mumfi ha nkɔ! Mo ho ntew!”
“Monkɔ, monkɔ! Mommfa mo ho nka yɛn.”
Sɛ woguan kɔnenam a
amanaman no mu nnipa ka se,
“Wɔrentumi ntena ha bio.”
16Awurade ankasa abɔ wɔn ahwete;
nʼani nni wɔn so bio.
Wɔmmfa nidi mma asɔfo,
na wɔn ani nsɔ mpanyimfo.
17Nea ɛka ho bio, yɛn ani anni ammoa yɛn,
yɛpɛɛ sɛ yebenya mmoa, nanso ɛyɛɛ ɔkwa;
yefi yɛn abantenten so de yɛn ani too
ɔman a wɔrentumi nnye yɛn so.
18Nnipa dii yɛn ntɛntɛnso wɔ yɛn anammɔntu mu,
enti yɛantumi annantew yɛn mmɔnten so.
Yɛn awiei bɛnee, na wɔkan yɛn nna,
efisɛ na yɛn awiei adu so.
19Yɛn ataafo ho yɛ hare
sen akɔre a wɔwɔ wim;
wɔtaa yɛn faa mmepɔw so
na wɔtɛw yɛn wɔ sare so.
20Nea Awurade asra no ngo, yɛn nkwa home ankasa no,
kɔtɔɔ wɔn mfiri mu.
Yegye dii sɛ ne nwini ase,
yebenya nkwa wɔ amanaman no mu.
21Di ahurusi na ma wʼani nnye, Edom Babea,
wo a wote Us asase so.
Wɔde kuruwa no bɛma wo nso bi;
wobɛbow na wɔabɔ wo adagyaw.
22Ɔbabea Sion, wʼasotwe bɛba awiei;
ɔremma wo nkɔ so ntena nnommum mu.
Nanso Ɔbabea Edom, obetua wo bɔne so ka
na wada wʼamumɔyɛ adi.
This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 1How the gold has lost its lustre,
the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
at every street corner.
2How the precious children of Zion,
once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
the work of a potter’s hands!
3Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
like ostriches in the desert.
4Because of thirst the infant’s tongue
sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread,
but no-one gives it to them.
5Those who once ate delicacies
are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple
now lie on ash heaps.
6The punishment of my people
is greater than that of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment
without a hand turned to help her.
7Their princes were brighter than snow
and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
their appearance like lapis lazuli.
8But now they are blacker than soot;
they are not recognised in the streets.
Their skin has shrivelled on their bones;
it has become as dry as a stick.
9Those killed by the sword are better off
than those who die of famine;
racked with hunger, they waste away
for lack of food from the field.
10With their own hands compassionate women
have cooked their own children,
who became their food
when my people were destroyed.
11The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;
he has poured out his fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed her foundations.
12The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor did any of the peoples of the world,
that enemies and foes could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.
13But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed within her
the blood of the righteous.
14Now they grope through the streets
as if they were blind.
They are so defiled with blood
that no-one dares to touch their garments.
15‘Go away! You are unclean!’ people cry to them.
‘Away! Away! Don’t touch us!’
When they flee and wander about,
people among the nations say,
‘They can stay here no longer.’
16The Lord himself has scattered them;
he no longer watches over them.
The priests are shown no honour,
the elders no favour.
17Moreover, our eyes failed,
looking in vain for help;
from our towers we watched
for a nation that could not save us.
18People stalked us at every step,
so we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near, our days were numbered,
for our end had come.
19Our pursuers were swifter
than eagles in the sky;
they chased us over the mountains
and lay in wait for us in the desert.
20The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath,
was caught in their traps.
We thought that under his shadow
we would live among the nations.
21Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
you who live in the land of Uz.
But to you also the cup will be passed;
you will be drunk and stripped naked.
22Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;
he will not prolong your exile.
But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,
and expose your wickedness.
