¹Ipapo Jobho akapindura, akati,

¹And Job answereth and saith: —

²Zvirokwazvo ndinoziva kuti ndizvo. Nekuti munhu angava akarurama pamberi paMwari seiko?

²Truly I have known that [it is] so, And what — is man righteous with God?

³Kana iye akada kuita nharo naye, Haangagoni kumupindura shoko rimwe pamashoko ane zviuru.

³If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

⁴Iye anomoyo wakangwara, une simba guru; Ndianiko akamuomesera moyo wake, akazofara?

⁴Wise in heart and strong in power — Who hath hardened toward Him and is at peace?

⁵Iye anobvisa makomo, iwo asingazvizivi, Kana achiashandura pakutsamwa kwake.

⁵Who is removing mountains, And they have not known, Who hath overturned them in His anger.

⁶Iye anozunungusa nyika ikabva panzvimbo yayo, Mbiru dzayo dzinodengenyeka.

⁶Who is shaking earth from its place, And its pillars move themselves.

⁷Iye anoraira zuva, rikarega kubuda; Iye anodzitira nyeredzi.

⁷Who is speaking to the sun, and it riseth not, And the stars He sealeth up.

⁸Iye oga anotatamura denga, Anotsika pamusoro pamafungu

⁸Stretching out the heavens by Himself, And treading on the heights of the sea,

⁹Iye anoita nyeredzi dzeAkituro, nedzeOrinoni, nedzeChimutanhatu, Namakamuri enyasi.

⁹Making Osh, Kesil, and Kimah, And the inner chambers of the south.

¹⁰Iye anoita zvinhu zvikuru zvisinganzverwi, Izvo zvinhu zvinoshamisa, zvisingagoni kuverengwa.

¹⁰Doing great things till there is no searching, And wonderful, till there is no numbering.

¹¹Tarira, anopfuura pedo neni, ndisingamuoni; Anopfuurawo hake, asi handimuoni.

¹¹Lo, He goeth over by me, and I see not, And He passeth on, and I attend not to it.

¹²Tarira, anotora hake, ndiani angamudzivisa? Ndiani angati kwaari, Unoiteiko?

¹²Lo, He snatches away, who bringeth it back? Who saith unto Him, `What dost Thou?`

¹³Mwari haangadzori kutsamwa kwake; Vabatsiri vaRahabhi vakakotamira pasi pake.

¹³God doth not turn back His anger, Under Him bowed have proud helpers.

¹⁴Ko zvino ini ndichamupindura seiko, Nditsaure mashoko angu ndiite nharo naye?

¹⁴How much less do I — I answer Him? Choose out my words with Him?

¹⁵Kunyange ndaiva akarurama handizaimupindura; Ndaikumbira nyasha kumutongi wangu.

¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, I answer not, For my judgment I make supplication.

¹⁶Kana ndichinge ndadana, akandipindura, Kunyange zvakadaro handizaitenda kuti akanzwa inzwi rangu.

¹⁶Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear [to] my voice.

¹⁷Nekuti anondiputsa nedutu remhepo, Anowanza mavanga angu ndisine mhosva hangu.

¹⁷Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.

¹⁸Handitenderi kutema mweya wangu, Asi anondizadza nezvinovava.

¹⁸He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

¹⁹Kana riri simba guru, tarira, iye anaro! Kana iri mhosva inotongwa, ndiani achanditarira nguva?

¹⁹If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment — who doth convene me?

²⁰Kunyange ndaiva akarurama hangu, muromo wangu umene uchandipa mhaka; Kunyange ndaiva akakwana, iye aiti handina kururama.

²⁰If I be righteous, Mine mouth doth declare me wicked, Perfect I am! — it declareth me perverse.

²¹Ndakakwana hangu, handizvirangariri; Ndinozvidza upenyu hwangu.

²¹Perfect I am! — I know not my soul, I despise my life.

²²Zvose zvakafanana hazvo; saka ndinoti, Iye anoparadza vakarurama navakaipa vose.

²²It is the same thing, therefore I said, `The perfect and the wicked He is consuming.`

²³Kana nyatwa ichinge yauraya nokukurumidza, Iye achaseka njodzi yavasina mhosva.

²³If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.

²⁴Nyika yakaiswa mumaoko avakaipa; Iye anofukidza meso avatongi vayo; Kana asiri iye, zvino ndianiko?

²⁴Earth hath been given Into the hand of the wicked one. The face of its judges he covereth, If not — where, who [is] he?

²⁵Zvino mazuva angu anokurumidza kupfuura mumhanyi; Anotiza asina kuona zvakanaka.

²⁵My days have been swifter than a runner, They have fled, they have not seen good,

²⁶Apfuura sezvikepe zvinomhanyisa; Segondo rinokurumidzira chiurawa.

²⁶They have passed on with ships of reed, As an eagle darteth on food.

²⁷Kana ndikati, Ndichakangamwa kunyunyuta kwangu, Ndicharega chiso changu chinopunyaira, ndifare hangu.

²⁷Though I say, `I forget my talking, I forsake my corner, and I brighten up!`

²⁸Ndinotya njodzi dzangu dzose, Ndinoziva kuti hamungati handine mhosva.

²⁸I have been afraid of all my griefs, I have known that Thou dost not acquit me.

²⁹Ndichapiwa mhosva; Zvino ndinotamburireiko zvisina maturo?

²⁹I — I am become wicked; why [is] this? [In] vain I labour.

³⁰Kana ndikangura nemvura yechando, Ndikachenesa maoko angu kwazvo;

³⁰If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands,

³¹Kunyange zvakadaro imwi mungandinyudza mumatope, Nenguvo dzangu dzichandisema.

³¹Then in corruption Thou dost dip me, And my garments have abominated me.

³²Nekuti iye haazi munhu akafanana neni, kuti ndimupindure, Kuti tikwirirane pakutonga.

³²But if a man like myself — I answer him, We come together into judgment.

³³Hakuna mununuri pakati pedu, Ungatibata tose noruoko rwake.

³³If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.

³⁴Ngaabvise shamhu yake kwandiri, hasha dzake dzirege kundityisa;

³⁴He doth turn aside from off me his rod, And His terror doth not make me afraid,

³⁵Ipapo ndaitaura, ndisingamutyi, nekuti handizakadaro hangu.

³⁵I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.