¹Ipapo Erifazi muTemani akapindura, akati,

¹And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —

²Kana munhu akaidza kutaurirana newe, iwe uchava neshungu here? Asi ndiani angazvidzora, akasataura hake?

²Hath one tried a word with thee? — Thou art weary! And to keep in words who is able?

³Tarira, iwe wakadzidzisa vazhinji, Iwe wakasimbisa maoko akashaiwa simba.

³Lo, thou hast instructed many, And feeble hands thou makest strong.

⁴Mashoko ako akatsigira akanga achivavarira kuwa, Iwe wakasimbisa mabvi akanga achigweda-gweda.

⁴The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.

⁵Asi zvino zvasvika kwauri, iwe woshaiwa simba, Zvakubata, zvino wotambudzika.

⁵But now, it cometh in unto thee, And thou art weary; It striketh unto thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶Ko kutya kwako Mwari harizi simba rako here? Kururama kwenzira dzako haizi tariro yako here?

⁶Is not thy reverence thy confidence? Thy hope — the perfection of thy ways?

⁷Rangarira hako, ndianiko asine mhaka akatongoparara? Kana vakarurama vakatongoparadzwa papi?

⁷Remember, I pray thee, Who, being innocent, hath perished? And where have the upright been cut off?

⁸Sezvandakaona ini, vanhu, vanorimira zvakaipa Navanodzvara zvakashata, ndivo vanokohwawo izvozvo.

⁸As I have seen — ploughers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!

⁹Vanoparadzwa nomweya waMwari, Vanopedzwa nokufema kokutsamwa kwake.

⁹From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger consumed.

¹⁰Kunduruma kweshumba nenzwi reshumba inehasha, Nameno evana veshumba anoparadzwa.

¹⁰The roaring of a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.

¹¹Shumba, yakwegura, inofa nokushaiwa zvingabata; Navana veshumbakadzi vanoparadzirwa.

¹¹An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness do separate.

¹²Zvino ndakaziviswa shoko rakavanda; Nzeve yangu yakanzwa zeve-zeve raro.

¹²And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it.

¹³Pandangariro dzinobva pane zvinoonekwa usiku, Kana vanhu vabatwa nehope huru;

¹³In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,

¹⁴Kutya nokubvunda kwakandiwira, Kwakabvundisa mafupa angu ose.

¹⁴Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.

¹⁵Ipapo mweya wakapfuura pamberi pechiso changu; Mvere dzenyama yangu dzikasimuka.

¹⁵And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh;

¹⁶Wakamira, asi ndakanga ndisingagoni kuona kuti akadini; Mufananidzo wangu wakange uri pamberi pameso angu; Kunyarara kukavapo, ndikanzwa inzwi richiti,

¹⁶It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude [is] over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear:

¹⁷Ko munhu, anofa, angakunda Mwari pakururama here? Ko munhu angakunda Muiti wake pakunaka here?

¹⁷`Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner?

¹⁸Tarirai, haatendi varanda vake; Vatumwa vake anovapa mhaka achiti mapenzi;

¹⁸Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.`

¹⁹Ndoda vanogara mudzimba dzevhu, Nheyo dzadzo dzakateyiwa paguruva, Dzinopwanyiwa sezvifusi.

¹⁹Also — the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.)

²⁰Vanoparadzwa pakati pamagwanani namadekwana; Vanoparara nokusingaperi, pasina munhu ane hanya nazvo.

²⁰From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish.

²¹Ko bote retende ravo harina kuvhomorwa pamwechete navo here? Vanofa vasina uchenjeri.

²¹Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!