1I am a man who has suffered greatly.
The Lord has used the Babylonians
to punish my people.
2He has driven me away. He has made me walk
in darkness instead of light.
3He has turned his powerful hand against me.
He has done it again and again, all day long.
4He has worn out my body.
He has broken my bones.
5He has surrounded me and attacked me.
He has made me suffer bitterly.
He has made things hard for me.
6He has made me live in darkness
like those who are dead and gone.
7He has built walls around me, so I can’t escape.
He has put heavy chains on me.
8I call out and cry for help.
But he won’t listen to me when I pray.
9He has put up a stone wall to block my way.
He has made my paths crooked.
10He has been like a bear waiting to attack me.
He has been like a lion hiding in the bushes.
11He has dragged me off the path.
He has torn me to pieces.
And he has left me helpless.
12He has gotten his bow ready to use.
He has shot his arrows at me.
13The arrows from his bag
have gone through my heart.
14My people laugh at me all the time.
They sing and make fun of me all day long.
15The Lord has made my life bitter.
He has made me suffer bitterly.
16He made me chew stones that broke my teeth.
He has walked all over me in the dust.
17I have lost all hope of ever having any peace.
I’ve forgotten what good times are like.
18So I say, “My glory has faded away.
My hope in the Lord is gone.”
19I remember how I suffered and wandered.
I remember how bitter my life was.
20I remember it very well.
My spirit is very sad deep down inside me.
21But here is something else I remember.
And it gives me hope.
22The Lord loves us very much.
So we haven’t been completely destroyed.
His loving concern never fails.
23His great love is new every morning.
Lord, how faithful you are!
24I say to myself, “The Lord is everything I will ever need.
So I will put my hope in him.”
25The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him.
He is good to those who look to him.
26It is good when people wait quietly
for the Lord to save them.
27It is good for a man to carry a heavy load of suffering
while he is young.
28Let him sit alone and not say anything.
The Lord has placed that load on him.
29Let him bury his face in the dust.
There might still be hope for him.
30Let him turn his cheek toward those who would slap him.
Let him be filled with shame.
31The Lord doesn’t turn his back
on people forever.
32He might bring suffering.
But he will also show loving concern.
How great his faithful love is!
33He doesn’t want to bring pain
or suffering to anyone.
34Every time people crush prisoners under their feet,
the Lord knows all about it.
35When people refuse to give someone what they should,
the Most High God knows it.
36When people don’t treat someone fairly,
the Lord knows it.
37Suppose people order something to happen.
It won’t happen unless the Lord has planned it.
38Troubles and good things alike come to people
because the Most High God has commanded them to come.
39A person who is still alive shouldn’t blame God
when God punishes them for their sins.
40Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living.
Let’s return to the Lord.
41Let’s lift up our hands to God in heaven.
Let’s pray to him with all our hearts.
42Let’s say, “We have sinned.
We’ve refused to obey you.
And you haven’t forgiven us.
43“You have covered yourself with the cloud of your anger.
You have chased us.
You have killed us without pity.
44You have covered yourself with the cloud of your anger.
Our prayers can’t get through to you.
45You have made us become like trash and garbage
among the nations.
46“All our enemies have opened their mouths wide
to swallow us up.
47We are terrified and trapped.
We are broken and destroyed.”
48Streams of tears flow from my eyes.
That’s because my people are destroyed.
49Tears will never stop flowing from my eyes.
My eyes can’t get any rest.
50I’ll weep until the Lord looks down from heaven.
I’ll cry until he notices my tears.
51What I see brings pain to my spirit.
All the women of my city are mourning.
52Those who were my enemies for no reason at all
hunted me down as if I were a bird.
53They tried to end my life
by throwing me into a deep pit.
They threw stones down at me.
54The water rose and covered my head.
I thought I was going to die.
55Lord, I called out to you.
I called out from the bottom of the pit.
56I prayed, “Please don’t close your ears
to my cry for help.”
And you heard my appeal.
57You came near when I called out to you.
You said, “Do not be afraid.”
58Lord, you stood up for me in court.
You saved my life and set me free.
59Lord, you have seen the wrong things
people have done to me.
Stand up for me again!
60You have seen how my enemies
have tried to get even with me.
You know all about their plans against me.
61Lord, you have heard them laugh at me.
You know all about their plans against me.
62You have heard my enemies
whispering among themselves.
They speak against me all day long.
63Just look at them sitting and standing there!
They sing and make fun of me.
64Lord, pay them back.
Punish them for what their hands have done.
65Cover their minds with a veil.
Put a curse on them!
66Lord, get angry with them and hunt them down.
Wipe them off the face of the earth.
1Mene ɔbarima a mahu amane
wɔ nʼabufuw abaa ano.
2Wapam me afi ne ho ama manantew
sum mu na ɛnyɛ hann mu;
3Ampa ara wama nsa so atia me
mpɛn bebree, da mu nyinaa.
4Wama me were ne me nam anyin
Na wabubu me nnompe.
5Waka me ahyɛ mu, na watua me ano
ɔde nweenwen ne ahokyere atwa me ho ahyia.
6Wama matena sum mu
sɛ wɔn a wɔawuwu dedaw no.
7Wato ɔfasu atwa me ho ahyia enti mintumi nguan;
wagu me nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ama matɔ beraw.
8Mpo sɛ mefrɛ anaasɛ mebɔ mpae srɛ mmoa a
osiw me mpaebɔ ano.
9Ɔde abotan asiw me kwan;
wama mʼakwan ayɛ kɔntɔnkye.
10Te sɛ sisi a ɔda hɔ retwɛn,
te sɛ gyata a watɛw,
11ɔtwee me fii ɔkwan no mu bebaree me
na ogyaw me a minni mmoa biara.
12Okuntun ne ta mu
na ɔde ne bɛmma kyerɛɛ me so.
13Ɔde bɛmma a efi ne kotoku mu
hwirew me koma mu.
14Meyɛɛ akyiwade maa me nkurɔfo nyinaa;
wɔto akutia nnwom
de di me ho fɛw da mu nyinaa.
15Ɔde nhaban nweenwen ahyɛ me ma.
Wama me bɔnwoma anom.
16Ɔde mmosea abubu me se;
na watiatia me so wɔ mfutuma mu.
17Wɔama asomdwoe abɔ me;
na me werɛ afi yiyedi.
18Enti mise, “Mʼanuonyam asa,
nea mede mʼani too so Awurade mu no nyinaa.”
19Mekae mʼamanehunu wɔ mʼakyinkyinakyinkyin mu,
nweenwen ne bɔnwoma mu.
20Mekae yiye,
na me kra abotow wɔ me mu.
21Nanso midwen eyi ho;
saa nti mewɔ anidaso.
22Awurade dɔ kɛse nti yɛnsɛee ɛ.
Nʼayamhyehye nni huammɔ.
23Ɛyɛ foforo anɔpa biara;
wo nokwaredi yɛ kɛse.
24Meka kyerɛ me ho se,
“Awurade yɛ me kyɛfa, enti mɛtwɛn no.”
25Awurade ye ma wɔn a wɔn anidaso wɔ ne mu,
onipa a ɔhwehwɛ no no;
26Eye sɛ wɔyɛ komm
de twɛn Awurade nkwagye.
27Eye ma ɔbarima sɛ ɔsoa konnua no
wɔ ne mmerantebere mu.
28Ma ɔntena ase komm,
efisɛ Awurade de ato ne so.
29Ma ɔmfa nʼanim nsie wɔ mfutuma mu,
ebia anidaso wɔ hɔ.
30Ma ɔmfa nʼafono mma nea ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔbɔ no no
na ɔnhyɛ no aniwu.
31Na Awurade ntow onipa biara nkyene koraa.
32Ɛwɔ mu, ɔde awerɛhow ba de, nanso obenya ayamhyehye.
Ne dɔ kɛse no to rentwa da.
33Ofi amemenemfe mu de amanehunu
anaa awerɛhow brɛ nnipa mma.
34Sɛ wɔde wɔn nan dwerɛw
nneduafo a wɔwɔ asase no so a,
35sɛ wotiatia obi ahofadi so
wɔ Ɔsorosoroni no anim a,
36anaa sɛ wobu obi ntɛnkyew a,
Awurade renhu saa nneɛma yi ana?
37Hena na obetumi aka na wama aba mu
wɔ bere a ɛnyɛ Awurade na ɔhyɛe?
38Ɛnyɛ Ɔsorosoroni no anom
na mmusu ne nnepa fi ana?
39Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔteasefo nwiinwii
bere a wɔatwe nʼaso wɔ ne bɔne ho?
40Momma yɛnhwehwɛ yɛn akwan mu na yɛnsɔ nhwɛ,
na yɛnsan nkɔ Awurade nkyɛn.
41Momma yɛmma yɛn koma ne yɛn nsa so,
nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔsoro, na yɛnka se:
42“Yɛayɛ bɔne, na yɛatew atua
na wamfa ankyɛ.
43“Wode abufuw akata wo ho ataa yɛn;
na woakunkum a woannya ahummɔbɔ.
44Wode wo ho asie omununkum mu
nti mpaebɔ biara nnu wo nkyɛn.
45Woayɛ yɛn atantanne ne nwura
wɔ amanaman no mu.
46“Yɛn atamfo nyinaa abaa wɔn anom tɛtrɛɛ
de tia yɛn.
47Yɛabrɛ ne ahunahuna ne akukuruhwease,
mmubui ne ɔsɛe.”
48Me nusu sen sɛ asuten
efisɛ wɔasɛe me nkurɔfo.
49Me nusu bɛsen ara,
na ɛrennyae,
50kosi sɛ Awurade bɛhwɛ
afi ɔsoro, na wahu.
51Nea mihu no ma me kra werɛ how,
me kuropɔn no mu mmea nyinaa nti.
52Mʼatamfo a menyɛɛ wɔn hwee
pampam me sɛ anomaa.
53Wɔpɛɛ sɛ wotwa me nkwa so
na wosiw me abo wɔ amoa mu;
54nsu bu faa me ti so,
na ɛyɛɛ me sɛnea wɔrewie me.
55Mebɔɔ wo din, Awurade
fii amoa no ase tɔnn.
56Wotee me sufrɛ: “Nsiw wʼaso
wɔ me gye sufrɛ ho.”
57Wutwiw bɛn me bere a mefrɛɛ wo no,
na wokae se, “Nsuro.”
58Wo Awurade, wudii mʼasɛm maa me;
na wugyee me nkwa.
59Woahu bɔne a wɔayɛ me, Awurade.
Di mʼasɛm ma me!
60Woahu wɔn aweretɔ no mu den,
wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa.
61Awurade, woate wɔn ntwirii,
wɔn pɔw a wɔbɔ tia me no nyinaa,
62nea mʼatamfo ka no asomsɛm na wɔka no brɛoo
de tia me da mu nyinaa.
63Hwɛ wɔn! Sɛ wogyinagyina hɔ anaasɛ wɔtete hɔ,
wɔto akutia nnwom de di me ho fɛw.
64Fa nea ɛfata tua wɔn so ka, Awurade,
nea wɔn nsa ayɛ nti.
65Pirim wɔn koma,
na ma wo nnome mmra wɔn so.
66Fa abufuw taa wɔn, na sɛe wɔn
fi Awurade ɔsorosoro ase.
