¹“Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?

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

²As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,

²Somuranda anoshuva mumvuri, Nomubatiri anotarira mubairo wake;

³so am I made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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

⁴When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

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

⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.

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

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

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

⁷Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye shall no more see good.

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

⁸The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more. Your eyes shall be on me, but I shall not be.

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

⁹As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. shall come up no more.

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

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

¹⁰Haangazodzokeri kumba kwake, Nenzvimbo yake haingazomuzivi

¹¹“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

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

¹²Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?

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

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

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

¹⁴then you scare me with dreams, and terrify me through visions:

¹⁴Ipapo mondivhundusa nokurota hope, Mondityisa nezvandinoona;

¹⁵so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.

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

¹⁶I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

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

¹⁷What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

¹⁷Munhu chinyiko, zvamunomukudza, Nokumuda nomoyo wenyu wose,

¹⁸that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?

¹⁸Zvamunomushanyira mangwanani ose Nokumuidza nguva dzose?

¹⁹How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

¹⁹Mucharega rinhiko kundicherekedza, Nokundirega kusvikira ndamedza mate angu?

²⁰If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?

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

²¹Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I shall not be.”

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