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

¹Hath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling?

²Somuranda anoshuva mumvuri, Nomubatiri anotarira mubairo wake;

²As a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,

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

³So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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

⁴If I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the dawn.

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

⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

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

⁶My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

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

⁷Remember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

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

⁸The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no [more]: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

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

⁹The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.

¹⁰Haangazodzokeri kumba kwake, Nenzvimbo yake haingazomuzivi

¹⁰He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him again.

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

¹¹Therefore I will not restrain my mouth: I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

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

¹²Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?

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

¹³When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

¹⁴Ipapo mondivhundusa nokurota hope, Mondityisa nezvandinoona;

¹⁴Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;

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

¹⁵So that my soul chooseth strangling, death, rather than my bones.

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

¹⁶I loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are a breath.

¹⁷Munhu chinyiko, zvamunomukudza, Nokumuda nomoyo wenyu wose,

¹⁷What is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

¹⁸Zvamunomushanyira mangwanani ose Nokumuidza nguva dzose?

¹⁸And that thou visitest him every morning, triest him every moment?

¹⁹Mucharega rinhiko kundicherekedza, Nokundirega kusvikira ndamedza mate angu?

¹⁹How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

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

²⁰Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

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

²¹And why dost not thou forgive my transgression and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I lie down in the dust, and thou shalt seek me early, and I shall not be.