¹Hakuna kufondoka kumunhu panyika here? Mazuva ake haana kufanana namazuva omubatiri here?

¹Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?

²Somuranda anoshuva mumvuri, Nomubatiri anotarira mubairo wake;

²As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,

³Saizvozvo ini ndakapiwa mwedzi isina maturo, Ndakatarirwa usiku bwenjodzi.

³So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.

⁴Kana ndovata, ndinoti, Ndichamuka rinhiko? Asi usiku hwakareba; Ndinoramba ndichishanduka-shanduka kusvikira koedza.

⁴If I lay down then I said, `When do I rise!` And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.

⁵Nyama yangu yakafukidzwa nehonye namavhinga evhu., Ganda rangu rinofunuka, richiputika hurwa.

⁵Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,

⁶Mazuva angu anokunda chirukiso chomuruki pakukurumidza, Anopera ndisine tariro.

⁶My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.

⁷Rangarirai henyu kuti upenyu hwangu imhepo hayo; Ziso rangu harichazooni zvakanaka.

⁷Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.

⁸Ziso romunhu unondiona harichazonditaririzve; Meso ako achanditarira, asi handichazovepo.

⁸The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me — and I am not.

⁹Sokupera kwegore nokunyangarika kwaro, Saizvozvo munhu, anoburukira kuSheori, haangazokwirizve.

⁹Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.

¹⁰Haangazodzokeri kumba kwake, Nenzvimbo yake haingazomuzivi

¹⁰He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.

¹¹Saka handinganyarari nomuromo wangu; Ndichataura pakutambudzika komweya wangu; Ndichanyunyuta neshungu dzangu dzomoyo.

¹¹Also I — I withhold not my mouth — I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.

¹²Ndiri gungwa kanhi, kana zimhuka regungwa, Zvamunoisa vanondirindira?

¹²A sea-[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?

¹³Kana ndikati, nhovo yangu ichandinyaradza, Mubhedha wangu uchazorodza kunyunyuta

¹³When I said, `My bed doth comfort me,` He taketh away in my talking my couch.

¹⁴Ipapo mondivhundusa nokurota hope, Mondityisa nezvandinoona;

¹⁴And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,

¹⁵Naizvozvo moyo wangu unotsaura kudzipwa,Nokufa kupfuura mafupa angu awa.

¹⁵And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.

¹⁶Ndinosema upenyu hwangu; handidi kurarama nokusingaperi; Ndiregei; nekuti mazuva angu akafanana nokufema.

¹⁶I have wasted away — not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.

¹⁷Munhu chinyiko, zvamunomukudza, Nokumuda nomoyo wenyu wose,

¹⁷What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?

¹⁸Zvamunomushanyira mangwanani ose Nokumuidza nguva dzose?

¹⁸And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?

¹⁹Mucharega rinhiko kundicherekedza, Nokundirega kusvikira ndamedza mate angu?

¹⁹How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.

²⁰Kana ndichinge ndatadza, ndingakuiteiko imi, mucherekedzi wavanhu? Makandiitireiko chinhu chamunovavarira, Kuti lni ndizviremekedze.

²⁰I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself — and what?

²¹Munoregereiko kukangamwira kudarika kwangu, nokubvisa kutadza kwangu? Nekuti zvino ndichavata pasi muguruva; Muchanditsvaka zvikuru, asi handichazovepo.

²¹Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me — and I am not!