¹Zvino Erihu akapindurawo, akati,

¹And Elihu answereth and saith: —

²Munoti ndiko kururama kwenyu here. Munoti, kururama kwangu kunopfuura kwaMwari?

²This hast thou reckoned for judgment: Thou hast said — `My righteousness [is] more than God`s?`

³Zvamunoti, Muchabatsirweiko nazvo? Ndichawaneiko, zvingapfuura zvandingawana kana ndatadza hangu?

³For thou sayest, `What doth it profit Thee! What do I profit from my sin?`

⁴Ndichakupindurai, Pamwechete neshamwari dzenyu.

⁴I return thee words, and thy friends with thee,

⁵Tarirai kudenga-denga, muone; Tarirai makore okudenga akakwirira kupfuura imi.

⁵Behold attentively the heavens — and see, And behold the clouds, They have been higher than thou.

⁶Kana muchinge matadza, ko mungamuitei iye? Kana kudarika kwenyu kuchinge kwakawanda, ko mungamuitei?

⁶If thou hast sinned, what dost thou against Him? And thy transgressions have been multiplied, What dost thou to Him?

⁷Kana makarurama, mungamupeiko? Kana iye uchapiweiko paruoko rwenyu?

⁷If thou hast been righteous, What dost thou give to Him? Or what from thy hand doth He receive?

⁸Kuipa kwenyu kunobata munhu akaita semi, Kururama kwenyu kungabatsira mwanakomana womunhu.

⁸For a man like thyself [is] thy wickedness, And for a son of man thy righteousness.

⁹Vanhu vanoridza mhere nokuda kokumanikidza kwakawanda; Vanoridza mhere kuti varwirwe paruoko rwoane simba.

⁹Because of the multitude of oppressions They cause to cry out, They cry because of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰Asi hapana anoti, Mwari Muiti wangu aripiko? Iye anotiimbisa usiku;

¹⁰And none said, `Where [is] God my maker? Giving songs in the night,

¹¹Iye anotidzidzisa kupfuura shiri dzokudenga? Anotiita vakachenjera kupfuura shiri dzokudenga?

¹¹Teaching us more than the beasts of the earth, Yea, than the fowl of the heavens He maketh us wiser.`

¹²Ipapo vanochema, asi hapana anopindura, Nokuda kokuzvikudza kwavanhu vakaipa.

¹²There they cry, and He doth not answer, Because of the pride of evil doers.

¹³Zvirokwazvo Mwari haanganzwi zvisina maturo, waMasimbaose haangavi nehanya nazvo.

¹³Surely vanity God doth not hear, And the Mighty doth not behold it.

¹⁴Ndoda kana muchiti, handimuoni; Mhosva iri pamberi pake, chimumirirai henyu!

¹⁴Yea, though thou sayest thou dost not behold Him, Judgment [is] before Him, and stay for Him.

¹⁵Asi zvino, zvaasina kutsiva pakutsamwa kwake, Kana kusava nehanya zvikuru nokuzvikudza;

¹⁵And, now, because there is not, He hath appointed His anger, And He hath not known in great extremity.

¹⁶Naizvozvo Jobho woshamisa muromo wake achireva zvisina maturo; Wowanza mashoko asingazivi.

¹⁶And Job [with] vanity doth open his mouth, Without knowledge words he multiplieth.