1Me sunsum atɔ piti,
me nna so atwa,
na damena retwɛn me.
2Ampa ara fɛdifoɔ atwa me ho ahyia;
ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ wɔn atutupɛ.
3“Ao Onyankopɔn, hyɛ me ɛbɔ a wopɛ.
Hwan bio na ɔbɛma me banbɔ?
4Woato wɔn adwene mu a wɔnte asɛm ase;
enti woremma wɔnni nkonim.
5Sɛ obi sopa ne nnamfonom de nya akatua a,
ne mma ani bɛfira.
6“Onyankopɔn de me ayɛ asɛm a ɛda obiara ano,
obi a wɔte ntasuo gu nʼani so.
7Awerɛhoɔ ama mʼani ayɛ samoo
me bɔberɛ nyinaa yɛ sunsumma.
8Ateneneefoɔ hunu me a, ɛyɛ wɔn nwanwa.
Wɔn a wɔdi bem no bɛsɔre atia wɔn a wɔnni nyamesu.
9Ateneneefoɔ bɛkɔ wɔn anim,
na wɔn a wɔn nsa ho teɛ bɛkɔ so anya ahoɔden.
10“Mo nyinaa mo nsane mmra mmɛsɔ me nhwɛ!
Na merennya onyansafoɔ wɔ mo mu.
11Me nna atwam, me nhyehyɛeɛ apansam,
saa ara na mʼakoma apɛdeɛ nso ayɛ.
12Saa nnipa yi ma anadwo dane awia;
esum mu koraa no, wɔka sɛ, ‘Hann abɛn,’
13Sɛ efie baako pɛ a mʼani da so ne damena,
sɛ mesɛ me kɛtɛ wɔ esum mu,
14sɛ meka kyerɛ porɔeɛ sɛ, ‘Woyɛ mʼagya,’
na me kyerɛ ɔsonsono sɛ, ‘Me maame’ anaa ‘Me nuabaa’ a,
15na afei mʼanidasoɔ wɔ he?
Hwan na ɔbɛtumi anya anidasoɔ bi ama me?
16Ɛbɛsiane akɔ owuo ɛpono ano anaa?
Yɛn nyinaa bɛsiane akɔ mfuturo mu anaa?”
1My strength is almost gone.
I won’t live much longer.
A grave is waiting for me.
2People who make fun of me are all around me.
I’m forced to watch as they attack me with their words.
3“God, please pay the price to have me set free.
Who else would put up money for me?
4You have closed the minds of those who are trying to comfort me.
They don’t understand that I haven’t done anything wrong.
So don’t let them win the argument.
5Suppose someone tells lies about their friends to get a reward.
Then their own children will suffer for it.
6“God has made an example of me.
People spit in my face.
7My eyes have grown weak because I’m so sad.
My body is so thin it hardly casts a shadow.
8People who claim to be honest
are shocked when they see me.
Those who think they haven’t sinned
are stirred up against me.
They think I’m ungodly.
9But godly people will keep doing what is right.
Those who have clean hands will grow stronger.
10“Come on, all of you! Try again!
I can’t find a wise person among you.
11My life is almost over. My plans are destroyed.
Yet the desires of my heart
12turn night into day.
Even though it’s dark,
‘Light is nearby.’
13Suppose the only home I can hope for is a grave.
And suppose I make my bed in the darkness of death.
14Suppose I say to the grave,
‘You are like a father to me.’
And suppose I say to its worms,
‘You are like a mother or sister to me.’
15Then what hope do I have?
Who can give me any hope?
16Will hope go down to the gates of death with me?
Will we go down together into the dust of the grave?”
