1Ao Awurade, kae deɛ aba yɛn so;
hwɛ, na hunu yɛn animguaseɛ.
2Wɔadane yɛn agyapadeɛ ama ahɔhoɔ,
wɔde yɛn afie ama ananafoɔ.
3Yɛayɛ nwisiaa na yɛnni agyanom,
yɛn maamenom ayɛ sɛ akunafoɔ.
4Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔ nsuo a yɛnom;
yɛbɛnya nnyina a, gye sɛ yɛtɔ.
5Wɔn a wɔtaa yɛn no abɛn yɛn pɛɛ;
Yɛabrɛ na yɛnnya ahomegyeɛ.
6Yɛde yɛn ho maa Misraim ne Asiria
sɛdeɛ yɛbɛnya aduane a ɛbɛso yɛn.
7Yɛn agyanom yɛɛ bɔne, na wɔnni hɔ bio,
na yɛn na wɔn asotwe abɛda yɛn so.
8Nkoa di yɛn so,
na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛgye yɛn afiri wɔn nsam.
9Yɛde yɛn nkwa bɔ afɔdeɛ de pɛ yɛn anoduane,
akofena a ɛwɔ ɛserɛ so no enti.
10Yɛn honam adɔ sɛ fononoo.
Ɛkɔm ama huraeɛ abɔ yɛn.
11Wɔato mmaa monnaa wɔ Sion,
ne mmaabunu a wɔwɔ Yuda nkuro so.
12Wɔkyekyere mmapɔmma nsa na wɔasɛn wɔn;
wɔmmfa anidie mma mpanimfoɔ.
13Mmeranteɛ yɛ adwuma den wɔ ayuoyammoɔ so;
na mmerantewaa nan toto wɔ nnyina duruduru ase.
14Mpanimfoɔ ntena kuropɔn apono ano bio;
mmeranteɛ agyae wɔn nnwontoɔ.
15Ahosɛpɛ afiri yɛn akoma mu;
yɛn asa adane agyaadwotwa.
16Ahenkyɛ afiri yɛn tiri so.
Yɛn ara, yɛnnue sɛ yɛayɛ bɔne!
17Yei enti yɛn akoma atɔ piti,
yeinom enti yɛn ani so ayɛ kusuu
18wɔ Sion bepɔ a ada mpan
na sakraman nenam soɔ no enti.
19Wo, Ao Awurade, di ɔhene afebɔɔ;
wʼahennwa firi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ kɔsi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ.
20Adɛn enti na wo werɛ firi yɛn daa yi?
Adɛn enti na wagya yɛn mmerɛ tenten mu yi?
21Ka yɛn bata wo ho bio, Ao, Awurade, na yɛatumi aba wo nkyɛn;
yɛ yɛn nna foforɔ sɛ tete no
22agye sɛ wapo yɛn koraa
anaa sɛ wo bo afu yɛn mmorosoɔ.
1Lord, think about what has happened to us.
Look at the shame our enemies have brought on us.
2The land you gave us has been turned over to outsiders.
Our homes have been given to strangers.
3Our fathers have been killed.
Our mothers don’t have husbands.
4We have to buy the water we drink.
We have to pay for the wood we use.
5Those who chase us are right behind us.
We’re tired and can’t get any rest.
6We put ourselves under the control of Egypt and Assyria
just to get enough bread.
7Our people of long ago sinned.
And they are now dead.
We are being punished because of their sins.
8Slaves rule over us.
No one can set us free
from their power.
9We put our lives in danger just to get some bread to eat.
Robbers in the desert might kill us with their swords.
10Our skin is as hot as an oven.
We are so hungry we’re burning up with fever.
11Our women have been treated badly in Zion.
Our virgins have been treated badly in the towns of Judah.
12Our princes have been hung up by their hands.
No one shows our elders any respect.
13Our young men are forced to grind grain at the mill.
Our boys almost fall down
as they carry heavy loads of wood.
14Our elders don’t go to the city gate anymore.
Our young men have stopped playing their music.
15There isn’t any joy in our hearts.
Our dancing has turned into mourning.
16All of our honor is gone.
How terrible it is for us because we have sinned!
17So our hearts are weak.
Our eyes can’t see very clearly.
18Mount Zion has been deserted.
Wild dogs are prowling all around on it.
19Lord, you rule forever.
Your throne will last for all time to come.
20Why do you always forget us?
Why have you deserted us for so long?
21Lord, please bring us back to you.
Then we can return.
Make our lives like new again.
22Or have you completely turned away from us?
Are you really that angry with us?
