¹Then Job answered,

¹Ipapo Jobho akapindura,, akati,

²“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

²Inzwai zvakanaka kutaura kwangu; Munyaradzwe nazvo.

³Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on.

³Ndiregei, nditaurewo; Kana ndapedza kutaura, mungandiseka henyu.

⁴As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient?

⁴Kana ndirini, ndinochema kuvanhu here? Ndingaregereiko kupera moyo?

⁵Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.

⁵Nditarirei, mushamiswe, Muise ruoko rwenyu pamuromo.

⁶When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.

⁶Kunyange ndozvirangarira ndinotambudzika, Kutya kukuru kunobata nyama yangu.

⁷“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?

⁷Vakaipa vanoraramireiko, Vachikwegura nokuwedzerwa simba here?

⁸Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.

⁸Vana vavo vanosimbiswa pamwechete navo pamberi pavo, Navazukuru vavo vachizviona nameso avo.

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

⁹Dzimba dzavo dzinorugare, hadzityiswi, Uye shamhu yaMwari haigari ichivarova.

¹⁰Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry.

¹⁰Hando yavo inoberekesa, isingakoni, Mhou yavo inobereka, isingasvodzi.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.

¹¹Vanobudisa pwere dzavo seboka ramakwai; Vana vavo vanotamba.

¹²They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

¹²Vanoimba vachiridzirwa ngoma nembira, Vanofara vachiridzirwa nyere.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. .

¹³Vanopedza mazuva avo vachifara, Vanoburukira kuSheori kamwe-kamwe.

¹⁴They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways.

¹⁴Kunyange zvakadaro vanoti kuna Mwari, Ibvai kwatiri; nekuti hatidi kuziva nzira dzenyu.

¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’

¹⁵Iye waMasimbaose ndianiko, kuti timushumire? Tichabatsirwa neiko kana tikakumbirisa kwaari?

¹⁶Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁶Tarirai, kufara kwavo hakuzi mumaoko avo; Mano avakaipa ari kure neni.

¹⁷“How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

¹⁷Ko mwenje wavakaipa unodzimwa kangani? Njodzi yavo inovavinga kanganiko? Mwari anovapavhurira kutambudzika pakutsamwa kwake kanganiko?

¹⁸How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?

¹⁸Vanotongofanana namakoto anopepereswa nemhepo here? Nehundi inotorwa nedutu remhepo?

¹⁹You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.

¹⁹imwi munoti, Mwari anochengetera vana vake zvakaipa. Ngaamutsive iye amene, azvizive.

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²⁰Meso ake amene ngaaone kuparadzwa kwake, Iye ngaamwe kutsamwa kowaMasimbaose.

²¹For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

²¹Nekuti achava nehanya yeiko neimba yake kana aenda, Kana kuwanda kwemwedzi yake kwatapudzwa.

²²“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?

²²Ndianiko angadzidzisa Mwari kuziva, Zvaari iye anotonga vari kumusoro?

²³One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

²³Mumwe anofa achine simba rake rose, Akafara chose anorugare.

²⁴His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.

²⁴Mazamu ake azere nomukaka, mwongo wamafupa ake wakanyorova.

²⁵Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.

²⁵Mumwe anofa ane shungu dzomoyo, asina kutongoravira zvakanaka.

²⁶They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.

²⁶Vanovata pasi pamwechete paguruva, Honye dzinovafukidza vose.

²⁷“Behold, I know your thoughts, the devices with which you would wrong me.

²⁷Tarirai ndinoziva kufunga kwenyu, Namano akaipa amunondifungira.

²⁸For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’

²⁸Nekuti munoti, Imba yomuchinda iripiko? Tende raigarwa nowakaipa riripiko?

²⁹Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences,

²⁹Hamuna kubvunza here vanofamba nenzira? Hamuzivi zviratidzo zvavo here?

³⁰that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

³⁰Kuti munhu wakaipa anoregerwa pazuva renjodzi, pazuva rokutsamwa kukuru vanobviswa.

³¹Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done?

³¹Ndianiko angamuzivisa mufambiro wake pachena? Ndiani achamutsiva zvaakaita here?

³²Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb.

³²Zvino anotakurirwa kuhwiro, kurindwe churu chake.

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him. All men shall draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.

³³Mavhinga omupata achamunakira, Vanhu vose vachamutevera, Sezvaakatungamirirwa navasingaverengwi.

³⁴So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”

³⁴Zvino munondinyaradza sei nezvisina maturo, Zvamasarirwa nenhema dzoga pakupindura kwenyu?