1“Abrabɔ afono me;
enti mɛka mʼasɛm a meremfa hwee nsie
na mɛkasa afiri me kra yeadie mu.
2Mɛka akyerɛ Onyankopɔn sɛ: Mmu me kumfɔ,
na mmom kyerɛ kwaadu a wobɔ me.
3Sɛ wohyɛ me so a, ɛdeɛn na wonya?
Adɛn enti na wopo wo nsa ano adwuma
na wosere hwɛ amumuyɛfoɔ nhyehyɛeɛ?
4Wowɔ ɔhonam mu ani anaa?
Wohunu adeɛ te sɛ ɔdasani anaa?
5Wo nkwa nna te sɛ ɔdasani
anaa wo mfeɛ te sɛ onipa,
6a enti ɛsɛ sɛ wohwehwɛ me mfomsoɔ
na wopɛɛpɛɛ me bɔne mu?
7Ɛwom sɛ wonim sɛ menni fɔ deɛ,
nanso obiara nso rentumi nnye me mfiri wo nsam.
8“Wo nsa na ɛnwonoo me na ɛbɔɔ me.
Afei wobɛdane wo ho asɛe me anaa?
9Kae sɛ wonwonoo me sɛ dɔteɛ.
Na wobɛdane me ayɛ me mfuturo bio?
10Woanhwie me sɛ nufosuo
no womaa me mu piiɛ sɛ kyiisi,
11amfa wedeɛ ne honam ankata me ho
ankeka nnompe ne ntini antoatoa mu anaa?
12Womaa me nkwa, yii ayamyɛ kyerɛɛ me,
na ɔhwɛsie mu, wohwɛɛ me honhom so.
13“Nanso yei na wode siee wʼakoma mu;
na menim sɛ na yei wɔ wʼadwene mu.
14Sɛ meyɛɛ bɔne a anka wobɛhwɛ me
na wobɛma me ɛso asotwe.
15Na sɛ medi fɔ a, nnome nka me!
Na sɛ mpo medi bem a, merentumi mpagya me ti,
ɛfiri sɛ aniwuo ahyɛ me ma
na mʼamanehunu amene me.
16Na sɛ mepagya me ti a, wodɛɛdɛɛ me sɛ gyata,
na bio woda wo tumi nwanwa no adi tia me.
17Wode adansefoɔ foforɔ bɛtia me
na woma wʼabofuo ano yɛ den wɔ me so;
wʼakodɔm tu ba me so ɛberɛ biara.
18“Adɛn enti na woma wɔwoo me?
Ɛkaa me nko a anka mewuiɛ ansa na ani bi rehunu me.
19Anka mamma nkwa yi mu,
anaasɛ wosoaa me firi awotwaa mu de me kɔɔ damena mu tee a, anka ɛyɛ.
20Aka kakra na me nna atwam,
gyaa me na menya anigyeɛ ɛberɛ tiawa bi
21ansa na makɔ koransane
kusuuyɛ ne sunsumma kabii asase so,
22asase a ɛyɛ anadwo sum kabii,
sunsumma tumm ne sakasaka,
baabi a ɛhɔ hann mpo te sɛ esum.”
1“I’m sick of living.
So I’ll talk openly about my problems.
I’ll speak out because my spirit is bitter.
2I say to God, ‘Don’t find me guilty.
Instead, tell me what charges
you are bringing against me.
3Does it make you happy when you crush me?
Does it please you to turn your back on what you have made?
While you do those things,
you smile on the plans of sinful people!
4You don’t have human eyes.
You don’t see as people see.
5Your days aren’t like the days of a mere human being.
Your years aren’t even like the years of a strong man.
6So you search for my mistakes.
You look for my sin.
7You already know I’m not guilty.
No one can save me from your power.
8“ ‘Your hands shaped me and made me.
So are you going to destroy me now?
9Remember, you molded me like clay.
So are you going to turn me back into dust?
10Didn’t you pour me out like milk?
Didn’t you form me like cheese?
11Didn’t you put skin and flesh on me?
Didn’t you sew me together with bones and muscles?
12You gave me life. You were kind to me.
You took good care of me. You watched over me.
13“ ‘But here’s what you hid in your heart.
Here’s what you had on your mind.
14If I sinned, you would be watching me.
You wouldn’t let me go without punishing me.
15If I were guilty, how terrible that would be for me!
Even if I haven’t sinned,
I can’t be proud of what I’ve done.
That’s because I’m so full of shame.
I’m drowning in my suffering.
16If I become proud, you hunt me down like a lion.
You show your mighty power against me.
17You bring new witnesses against me.
You become more and more angry with me.
You use your power against me again and again.
18“ ‘Why did you bring me out of my mother’s body?
I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19I wish I’d never been born!
I wish I’d been carried straight from my mother’s body to the grave!
20Aren’t my few days almost over?
Leave me so I can have a moment of joy.
21Turn away before I go to the place I can’t return from.
It’s the land of gloom and total darkness.
22It’s the land of darkest night
and total darkness and disorder.
There even the light is like darkness.’ ”
