1“Nanso seesei wɔsere me,
nnipa a manyini sene wɔn,
na wɔn agyanom mfata sɛ
wɔne me nnwan ho nkraman tena.
2Mfasoɔ bɛn na wɔn nsa mu ahoɔden wɔ ma me,
ɛberɛ a wɔn ahoɔden afiri wɔn mu?
3Ohia ne ɛkɔm ama wɔn ho atete,
wɔnante asase wesee
ne asase bonini so anadwo.
4Wɔboaboaa nkyenhahan ano wɔ nkyɛkyerɛ mu,
na wɔde ɛserɛ so nnua nhini yɛɛ wɔn aduane.
5Wɔn mfɛfoɔ pamoo wɔn firii wɔn mu,
na wɔhuroo wɔn sɛ akorɔmfoɔ.
6Wɔhyɛɛ wɔn ma wɔtenaa nsuka a emu awo,
abotan ne ɛfam ntokuro mu.
7Wɔsuu sɛ mfunumu wɔ wiram
na wɔfoforee so wɔ ɔdɔtɔ ase.
8Ekuo a wɔmfra na wɔnni din,
wɔpam wɔn firii asase no so.
9“Na ɛnnɛ yi wɔn mmammarima de dwom bɔ me akutia;
mayɛ abusudeɛ wɔ wɔn mu.
10Wɔkyiri me na wɔnnka mma me ho;
wɔmmfɛre sɛ wɔtete ntasuo gu mʼanim.
11Afei a Onyankopɔn abubu me tadua na ɔde amanehunu aba me so yi,
wɔyɛ deɛ wɔpɛ wɔ mʼanim.
12Abusuakuo no to hyɛ me so wɔ me nifa so;
wɔsum me nan mfidie,
na wɔsisi apie tia me.
13Wɔsisi mʼakwan;
na wɔnya me sɛe me
na obiara mmoa me.
14Wɔba te sɛ deɛ wɔfiri ntokuro a ano abae mu;
wɔnam mmubuiɛ no mu munimuni ba.
15Ahunahuna ma me ho dwiri me;
mʼanimuonyam atu kɔ sɛdeɛ mframa abɔ agu,
me banbɔ atu ayera sɛ omununkum.
16“Na seesei, me nkwa resa;
na amanehunu nna akyekyere me.
17Anadwo wowɔ me nnompe mu;
ɔyea a ɛwe me no nnyae.
18Onyankopɔn firi ne tumi mu yɛ sɛ aduradeɛ ma me;
ɔmia me te sɛ mʼatadeɛ kɔn.
19Ɔto me twene atɛkyɛ mu
na ɔma me yɛ sɛ mfuturo ne nsõ.
20“Ao Onyankopɔn, mesu mefrɛ wo, nanso wommua me.
Mesɔre gyina, nanso wohwɛ me kɛkɛ.
21Woba me so anibereɛ so;
wode wʼabasa mu tumi to hyɛ me so.
22Wohwim me na wode mframa pia me;
wodankyidankyi me wɔ ahum mu.
23Menim sɛ wode me bɛkɔ owuo mu,
baabi a woahyɛ ama ateasefoɔ nyinaa.
24“Ampa ara obiara mfa ne nsa nka onipa a ɔrebrɛ
ɛberɛ a ɔresu pɛ mmoa wɔ nʼamanehunu mu.
25Mansu amma wɔn a wɔwɔ ɔhaw mu anaa?
Me kra werɛ anho amma ahiafoɔ anaa?
26Nanso ɛberɛ a mʼani da papa so no, bɔne baeɛ;
ɛberɛ a mepɛɛ hann no, esum na ɛduruuɛ.
27Meyafunu mu a ɛwowɔ me no nnyae da;
na nna a amanehunu wɔ mu da mʼanim.
28Menenam a mabiri a ɛnyɛ sɛ owia na ahye me;
megyina adwaberem na mesu pɛ mmoa.
29Madane nnompo nuabarima,
me ne apatuo na ɛbɔ.
30Me honam ani abiri na ɛhwanehwane;
huraeɛ ama me ho adɔ.
31Me sankuo bɔ kwadwom,
na mʼatɛntɛbɛn ma agyaadwotwa nnyegyeɛ.
1“But now those who are younger than I am make fun of me.
I wouldn’t even put their parents with my sheep dogs!
2Their strong hands couldn’t give me any help.
That’s because their strength was gone.
3They were weak because they were needy and hungry.
They wandered through dry and empty deserts at night.
4Among the bushes they gathered salty plants.
They ate the roots of desert bushes.
5They were driven away from human society.
They were shouted at as if they were robbers.
6They were forced to live in dry stream beds.
They had to stay among rocks
and in holes in the ground.
7Like donkeys they cried out among the bushes.
There they crowded together and hid.
8They were so foolish that no one respected them.
They were driven out of the land.
9“Now their children laugh at me.
They make fun of me with their songs.
10They hate me. They stay away from me.
They even dare to spit in my face.
11God has made my body weak.
It’s like a tent that has fallen down.
So those children do what they want to in front of me.
12Many people attack me on my right side.
They lay traps for my feet.
They come at me from every direction.
13They tear up the road I walk on.
They succeed in destroying me.
They say, ‘No one can help him.’
14They attack me like troops smashing through a wall.
Among the destroyed buildings they come rolling in.
15Terrors sweep over me.
My honor is driven away as if by the wind.
My safety vanishes like a cloud.
16“Now my life is slipping away.
Days of suffering grab hold of me.
17At night my bones hurt.
My aches and pains never stop.
18God’s great power becomes like clothes to me.
He chokes me like the neck of my shirt.
19He throws me down into the mud.
I’m nothing but dust and ashes.
20“God, I cry out to you. But you don’t answer me.
I stand up. But all you do is look at me.
21You do mean things to me.
You attack me with your mighty power.
22You pick me up and blow me away with the wind.
You toss me around in the storm.
23I know that you will bring me down to death.
That’s what you have appointed for everyone.
24“No one would crush people
when they cry out for help in their trouble.
25Haven’t I wept for those who are in trouble?
Haven’t I felt sorry for poor people?
26I hoped good things would happen, but something evil came.
I looked for light, but all I saw was darkness.
27My insides are always churning.
Nothing but days of suffering are ahead of me.
28My skin has become dark, but the sun didn’t do it.
I stand up in the community and cry out for help.
29I’ve become a brother to wild dogs.
Owls are my companions.
30My skin grows black and peels.
My body burns with fever.
31My lyre is tuned to sadness.
My flute makes a sound like weeping.
