¹Tarirai, ziso rangu rakaona izvi zvose, Nzeve yangu yakazvinzwa nokuzvinzwisisa.

¹Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.

²Zvamunoziva imi, ndinozvizivawo; Handizi muduku kwamuri.

²According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.

³Zvirokwazvo, ndinoda kutaura nowaMasimbaose, Ndinoda kuzvidavira kuna Mwari.

³Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.

⁴Asi imwi munofukidza zvose nenhema dzenyu, imwi mose muri n'anga dzisina maturo.

⁴And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,

⁵Haiwa! Dai muchinyarara mose! Ndiko kwaiva kungwara kwenyu!

⁵O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

⁶Zvino chinzwai kuzvidavira kwangu, Teererai munzwe ndichizvirevera nemiromo yangu.

⁶Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,

⁷Munoda kurwira Mwari muchitaura zvisakarurama here? Nokureva zvinonyengera nokuda kwake here?

⁷For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?

⁸Munoda kuva nehanya naye here? Munoda kurwira Mwari kanhi?

⁸His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?

⁹Ko zvakanaka kana iye achikunzverai here? imwi mungamunyengera, sezvamunganyengera munhu here?

⁹Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?

¹⁰Zvirokwazvo iye achakutukai, Kana mukava nehanya pakavanda.

¹⁰He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.

¹¹Ukuru hwake haungakutyisii here? Haangakutyisii zvikuru here?

¹¹Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?

¹²Mashoko enyu enjere ishumo dzamadota, zvitaviro zvenyu zvitaviro zvevhu.

¹²Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.

¹³Nyararai, ndiregei nditaure, Ndiwirwe hangu nezvandingawirwa nazvo.

¹³Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?

¹⁴Ndicharumireiko nyama yangu nameno angu, Nokubata upenyu hwangu muruoko rwangu?

¹⁴Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?

¹⁵Kunyange akandiuraya hake, ndichamumirira hangu; Kunyange zvakadaro ndichazvidavirira hangu pamberi pake pamusoro pomufambiro wangu.

¹⁵Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.

¹⁶Ndirwowo ruchava ruponeso rwangu, Kuti munhu asingatendi Mwari haangasviki pamberi pake.

¹⁶Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.

¹⁷Inzwai zvakanaka kutaura kwangu, Kuparidza kwangu kupinde nzeve dzenyu.

¹⁷Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.

¹⁸Tarirai zvino, ndarongedza mhaka yangu; Ndinoziva kuti ndicharuramisirwa.

¹⁸Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.

¹⁹Ndianiko achaita nharo neni? nekuti zvino ndinganyarara hangu, ndikafa.

¹⁹Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.

²⁰Asi regai henyu kundiitira zvinhu zviviri, Ipapo handingavandi pamberi penyu;

²⁰Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.

²¹Bvisai ruoko rwenyu kure neni; Kutyisa kwenyu kurege kundivhundusa.

²¹Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.

²²Ipapo mudane imi, ini ndichapindura; Kana ini nditaure hangu, imwi mundipindure.

²²And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.

²³Zvakaipa zvangu nezvivi zvangu zvinganiko? Ndizivisei kudarika kwangu nechivi changu.

²³How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.

²⁴Munovanzireiko chiso chenyu, Muchiti ndiri muvengi wenyu?

²⁴Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?

²⁵Munoda kuvhundusa shizha rinopepereswa here? Munoda kudzingana namakoto akaoma here?

²⁵A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?

²⁶Munotonga zvinhu zvinovava pamusoro pangu, Munondidyisa nhaka yezvakaipa Zvujaya hwangu;

²⁶For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:

²⁷Munomana makumbo angu mumatanda, nokucherekedza nzira dzangu dzose; Munotarira tsoka dzamakumbo angu muganhu;

²⁷And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,

²⁸Kunyange ndakafanana nechinhu chakaora chinopera, Senguvo yapedzwa nezvifusi.

²⁸And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.