¹Munhu akazvarwa nomukadzi anamazuva mashoma, azere nokutambudzika.

¹Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

²Anobuda seruva, ndokusvava; Anotizawo somumvuri, haagari.

²He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.

³Ko munotarira munhu akadai nameso enyu, Muchinditonga here?

³Yet dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

⁴Ndianiko angabudisa chinhu chakanaka pane chakaipa? Hakuna.

⁴Who can bring a clean [man] out of the unclean? Not one!

⁵Mazuva ake zvaakatarwa, mwedzi yake yakaverengwa nemi, Makamutarira miganho yaasingatenderwi kudarika;

⁵If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, [and] thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,

⁶Regai kumucherekedza, azorore, Kusvikira apedza zuva rake somubatiri.

⁶Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

⁷nekuti kana muti uchinge watemwa, kune tariro kuti uchabudazve, Uye kuti davi rawo nyoro haringaperi.

⁷For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;

⁸Kunyange mudzi wawo ukakwegurira muvhu, Nehunde yawo ikafa pasi;

⁸Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stock die in the ground,

⁹Kunyange zvakadaro uchabukira kana wanzwa kunhuhwira kwemvura, Ndokubudisa matavi somuti muduku.

⁹Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a young plant.

¹⁰Asi munhu anofa, akaparara hake; Zvirokwazvo munhu anorega kufema, zvino aripiko?

¹⁰But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?

¹¹Mvura inopera pagungwa, Uye rwizi runopera nokupwa;

¹¹The waters recede from the lake, and the river wasteth and drieth up:

¹²Saizvozvo munhu anovata pasi, akasamukazve; Havazomukizve kusvikira denga rapera, Havangamutswi pahope dzavo.

¹²So man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their sleep.

¹³Dai muchindivanza henyu paSheori, Muchindichengeta pakavanda, kusvikira hasha dzenyu dzapfuura, Munditemere nguva yakatarwa, yamungandirangarira nayo.

¹³Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret until thine anger be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me, --

¹⁴Kana munhu achinge afa, angararamazve here? Ndaimira hangu mazuva ose okutambudzika kwangu, Kusvikira kusunungurwa kwangu kuchisvika.

¹⁴(If a man die, shall he live [again]?) all the days of my time of toil would I wait, till my change should come:

¹⁵Maizodana, ini ndikakupindurai; Maishuva basa ramaoko enyu.

¹⁵Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee; thou wouldest have a desire after the work of thy hands.

¹⁶Asi zvino munoverenga nhambwe dzangu;

¹⁶For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

¹⁷Kudarika kwangu kwakasungirwa muhombodo, Munosunga zvakaipa zvangu.

¹⁷My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou heapest up mine iniquity.

¹⁸Gomo kana richiwa zvirokwazvo rinopfupfunyuka, Uye dombo rinobviswa panzvimbo yaro;

¹⁸And indeed a mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;

¹⁹Mvura inochera mabwe; Kuyerera kwayo kunokukura guruva renyika;. imwi munoparadza tariro yomunhu.

¹⁹The waters wear the stones, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

²⁰Munomukunda nokusingaperi, iye akapfuura hake; Munoshandura chiso chake, ndokumudzinga.

²⁰Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth away; thou changest his countenance, and dismissest him.

²¹Vana vake vanokudzwa iye asingazvizivi; Vanoderedzwa, asi iye haaoni vachiitirwa izvozvo.

²¹His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.

²²Asi kana ari iye, nyama yake inorwadziwa, Mweya wake unochema mukati make.

²²But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.