¹Ipapo Jobho akapindura, akati,

¹And Job answereth and saith: —

²Ndatonzwa hangu mashoko mazhinji akadai; imwi mose muri vanyaradzi pasina.

²I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] ye all.

³Ko mashoko asina maturo achapera here? Chinyiko chinokugombedzera kupindura?

³Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?

⁴Neniwo ndaigona kutaura semi; Kana mweya yenyu yaiva panzvimbo yomweya wangu, Ndaigonawo kubatanidza mashoko pamusoro penyu, Ndaikudzungudzirai musoro wangu.

⁴I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul`s stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.

⁵Asi ndingadai ndaikusimbisai nomuromo wangu, Nokuvaraidza kwemiromo yangu kwaitapudza marwadzo enyu.

⁵I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.

⁶Kunyange ndichitaura hangu, kuchema kwangu hakuremudzwi; Kunyange ndikarega hangu, ndinotapudzirwa neiko?

⁶If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease — what goeth from me?

⁷Asi zvino iye andinetsa, imwi maparadza mhuri yangu yose.

⁷Only, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated all my company,

⁸imwi makandibata nesimba, ndizvo zvinondipupurira; Kuonda kwangu kunondimukira, Kunondipupurira zvakaipa pachena.

⁸And Thou dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.

⁹Iye akandibvarura pakutsamwa kwake, akandivenga; Akarumanya meno ake pamusoro pangu; Mudzivisi wangu anondiwetsera meso ake.

⁹His anger hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.

¹⁰Vakandishamisira miromo yavo Vakandirova padama, vachindituka, Vanoungana kuzorwa neni.

¹⁰They have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.

¹¹Mwari anondiisa kuna vasakarurama; Anondikanda pamaoko avakaipa.

¹¹God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.

¹²Ndakanga ndichizorora hangu, iye akandivhuna; Zvirokwazvo akandibata nomumutsipa, akandiputsanya; Akandiita chiposherwa chake.

¹²At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark.

¹³Miseve yake inondikomba kumativi ose; Anopamura itsvo dzangu, asinganzwiri nyasha; Anodururira nduru yangu pasi.

¹³Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.

¹⁴Anondikoromora nokukoromora-koromora; Anomhanyira kwandiri semhare.

¹⁴He breaketh me — breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.

¹⁵Ndakasonera masaga paganda rangu, Ndakaradzika runyanga rwangu muguruva.

¹⁵Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.

¹⁶Chiso changu chatsvuka nokuchema. Mumvuri worufu uri pamafungiro ameso angu.

¹⁶My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids [is] death-shade.

¹⁷Kunyange maoko angu asingadi hawo kuparadza, Nokunyengetera kwangu kwakanaka hako.

¹⁷Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer [is] pure.

¹⁸Iwe nyika, rega hako kufukidza ropa rangu; Kuchema kwangu ngakushaiwe nzvimbo yokuzorora.

¹⁸O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.

¹⁹Nazvino, tarirai, chapupu changu chiri kudenga, Iye, anondipupurira zvakanaka, ari kumusoro.

¹⁹Also, now, lo, in the heavens [is] my witness, And my testifier in the high places.

²⁰Shamwari dzangu dzinondishora, Asi ziso rangu rinodurura misodzi yangu pamberi paMwari.

²⁰My interpreter [is] my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:

²¹Kuti aruramisire munhu pamberi paMwari, NoMwanakomana womunhu pamberi powokwake.

²¹And he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.

²²nekuti kana makore mashoma apfuura, Ndichafamba nenzira yandisingazodzokizve nayo.

²²When a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.