1Awurade, kae nea aba yɛn so;
hwɛ, na hu yɛn animguase.
2Wɔadan yɛn agyapade ama ahɔho,
wɔde yɛn afi ama ananafo.
3Yɛayɛ nyisaa na yenni agyanom,
yɛn nanom yɛ akunafo.
4Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔ nsu a yɛnom;
yebenya nnyina a, gye sɛ yɛtɔ.
5Wɔn a wɔtaa yɛn no abɛn yɛn pɛɛ;
Yɛabrɛ na yennya ahomegye.
6Yɛde yɛn ho maa Misraim ne Asiria
sɛnea yebenya aduan a ɛbɛso yɛn.
7Yɛn agyanom yɛɛ bɔne, na wonni hɔ bio,
na yɛn na wɔn asotwe abɛda yɛn so.
8Nkoa di yɛn so,
na obiara nni hɔ a obegye yɛn afi wɔn nsam.
9Yɛde yɛn nkwa bɔ afɔre de pɛ yɛn anoduan,
afoa a ɛwɔ sare so no nti.
10Yɛn honam adɔ sɛ fononoo.
Ɔkɔm ama atiridii abɔ yɛn.
11Wɔato mmea mmonnaa wɔ Sion,
ne mmabun a wɔwɔ Yuda nkurow so.
12Wɔkyekyere mmapɔmma nsa na wɔasɛn wɔn;
wɔmmfa nidi mma mpanyimfo.
13Mmerante yɛ adwumaden wɔ awiyammo so;
na mmerantewa nan toto wɔ nnyina duruduru ase.
14Mpanyimfo ntena kuropɔn apon ano bio;
mmerante agyae wɔn nnwonto.
15Ahosɛpɛw afi yɛn koma mu;
yɛn asaw adan agyaadwotwa.
16Ahenkyɛw afi yɛn ti so.
Yɛn ara, yennue sɛ yɛayɛ bɔne!
17Eyi nti yɛn koma atɔ beraw,
eyinom nti yɛn ani so ayɛ kusuu
18wɔ Sion bepɔw a ada mpan
na sakraman nenam so no nti.
19Wo, Awurade, di hene afebɔɔ;
wʼahengua fi awo ntoatoaso kosi awo ntoatoaso.
20Adɛn nti na wo werɛ fi yɛn daa yi?
Adɛn nti na wagyaw yɛn, mmere tenten mu yi?
21Ka yɛn bata wo ho bio, Awurade, na yɛatumi asan aba wo nkyɛn;
yɛ yɛn nna foforo sɛ tete no
22gye sɛ woapo yɛn koraa
anaasɛ wo bo afuw yɛn mmoroso.
1Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
look, and see our disgrace.
2Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3We have become fatherless,
our mothers are widows.
4We must buy the water we drink;
our wood can be had only at a price.
5Those who pursue us are at our heels;
we are weary and find no rest.
6We submitted to Egypt and Assyria
to get enough bread.
7Our ancestors sinned and are no more,
and we bear their punishment.
8Slaves rule over us,
and there is no-one to free us from their hands.
9We get our bread at the risk of our lives
because of the sword in the desert.
10Our skin is hot as an oven,
feverish from hunger.
11Women have been violated in Zion,
and virgins in the towns of Judah.
12Princes have been hung up by their hands;
elders are shown no respect.
13Young men toil at the millstones;
boys stagger under loads of wood.
14The elders are gone from the city gate;
the young men have stopped their music.
15Joy is gone from our hearts;
our dancing has turned to mourning.
16The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17Because of this our hearts are faint;
because of these things our eyes grow dim
18for Mount Zion, which lies desolate,
with jackals prowling over it.
19You, Lord, reign for ever;
your throne endures from generation to generation.
20Why do you always forget us?
Why do you forsake us so long?
21Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
renew our days as of old
22unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us beyond measure.
