¹Ipapo Jobho akapindura, akati,

¹And Job answereth and saith: —

²Kunyange nanhasi ndinonyunyuta ndine shungu; Kurohwa kwangu kwakanyanya kukunda kugomera kwangu.

²Also — to-day [is] my complaint bitter, My hand hath been heavy because of my sighing.

³Haiwa! Dai ndaiziva kwandingamuwana, Kuti ndisvike ipo pachigaro chake.

³O that I had known — and I find Him, I come in unto His seat,

⁴Ndairondedzera mhaka yangu pamberi pake, Ndaizadza muromo wangu nenharo.

⁴I arrange before Him the cause, And my mouth fill [with] arguments.

⁵Ndaiziva mashoko aanopindura nawo, Ndainzwisisa zvaanondiudza.

⁵I know the words He doth answer me, And understand what He saith to me.

⁶Angaita nharo neni nesimba rake guru here? Kwete; asi angandirangarira.

⁶In the abundance of power doth He strive with me? No! surely He putteth [it] in me.

⁷Apo akarurama angataurirana naye; Kuti ndisunungurwe nokusingaperi pamutongi wangu.

⁷There the upright doth reason with Him, And I escape for ever from my judge.

⁸Tarira, ndinopfuura mberi, asi haapo; Uuye shure, asi handimuoni;

⁸Lo, forward I go — and He is not, And backward — and I perceive him not.

⁹Nokuruoko rworuboshwe, kana achibata, asi handigoni kumuona; Anozvivanza paruoko rworudyi, kuti ndirege kumuona.

⁹[To] the left in His working — and I see not, He is covered [on] the right, and I behold not.

¹⁰nekuti iye anoziva nzira yandinofamba nayo; Kana akandiidza, ndichabuda ndakaita sendarama.

¹⁰For He hath known the way with me, He hath tried me — as gold I go forth.

¹¹Rutsoka rwangu rwakaramba ruchitsika paakatsika iye; Ndakarambira panzira yake, handina kutsauka.

¹¹On His step hath my foot laid hold, His way I have kept, and turn not aside,

¹²Handina kubva pamurairo wemiromo yake; Ndakachengeta sefuma mashoko omuromo wake kupfuura mugove wangu.

¹²The command of His lips, and I depart not. Above my allotted portion I have laid up The sayings of His mouth.

¹³Asi iye anorangarira chinhu chimwe, ndianiko angamudzora? Zvinoda moyo wake, ndizvo zvaanoita.

¹³And He [is] in one [mind], And who doth turn Him back? And His soul hath desired — and He doth [it].

¹⁴Nekuti anoita zvandakatemerwa; Nezvinhu zvizhinji zvakadai zviri kwaari.

¹⁴For He doth complete my portion, And many such things [are] with Him.

¹⁵Saka ndinotambudzika pamberi pake; Kana ndichimufunga ndinomutya.

¹⁵Therefore, from His presence I am troubled, I consider, and am afraid of Him.

¹⁶Nekuti Mwari akatorera moyo wangu simba, waMasimbaose akandivhundusa.

¹⁶And God hath made my heart soft, And the Mighty hath troubled me.

¹⁷Nekuti handina kuparadzwa nekuda kwerima, Kana nokuda kwerima guru rakafukidza chiso changu.

¹⁷For I have not been cut off before darkness, And before me He covered thick darkness.