Job Continues
I Promised Myself
1 I promised myself
never to stare with desire
at a young woman.
2 God All-Powerful punishes
men who do that.
3 In fact, God sends disaster
on all who sin,
4 and he keeps a close watch
on everything I do.
5 I am not dishonest or deceitful,
6 and I beg God to prove
my innocence.
7 If I have disobeyed him
or even wanted to,
8 then others can eat my harvest
and uproot my crops.
9 If I have desired someone's wife
and chased after her,
10 then let some stranger
steal my wife from me.
11 If I took someone's wife,
it would be a horrible crime,
12 sending me to destruction
and my crops to the flames.
13 When my servants
complained against me,
I was fair to them.
14 Otherwise, what answer
would I give to God
when he judges me?
15 After all, God is the one
who gave life to each of us
before we were born.
I Have Never Cheated Anyone
16 I have never cheated widows
or others in need,
17 and I have always shared
my food with orphans.
18 Since the time I was young,
I have cared for orphans
and helped widows.
19 I provided clothes for the poor,
20 and I was praised
for supplying woolen garments
to keep them warm.
21 If I have ever raised my arm
to threaten an orphan
when the power was mine,
22 I hope that arm will fall
from its socket.
23 I could not have been abusive;
I was terrified at the thought
that God might punish me.
24 I have never trusted
the power of wealth,
25 or taken pride in owning
many possessions.
* 26 I have never openly or secretly
27 worshiped the sun or moon.
28 Such horrible sins
would have deserved
punishment from God.
29 I have never laughed
when my enemies
were struck by disaster.
30 Neither have I sinned
by asking God
to send down on them
the curse of death.
31 No one ever went hungry
at my house,
32 and travelers
were always welcome.
33 Many have attempted to hide
their sins from others—
but I refused.
34 And the fear of public disgrace
never forced me to keep silent
about what I had done.
Why Doesn't God Listen?
35 Why doesn't God All-Powerful
listen and answer?
If God has something against me,
let him speak up
or put it in writing!
36 Then I would wear his charges
on my clothes and forehead.
37 And with my head held high,
I would tell him everything
I have ever done.
38 I have never mistreated
the land I farmed
and made it mourn.
39 Nor have I cheated
my workers
and caused them pain.
40 If I had, I would pray
for weeds instead of wheat
to grow in my fields.
After saying these things,
Job was silent.
1 “Ndakathama tjidumano ne mesho angu,
kuti asitongolinga mwanadi.
2 Gobe langu labelowobeni kudwa pezhugwi ku Ndzimu kene,
ne lukata gwangu kudwa kuna Masimbawose ba pezhugwi ini kene?
3 Apa zwakabipa azwitowila babi kene?
Apa tjiga ate tja ibabo banothama mbipo kene?
4 Apa autobona zila dzangu kene?
Apa autobala thambo imwe ne imwe yangu kene?
5 “Ha kuli kuti ndakabe ndiyenda mu zila dze bupitipiti,
makumbo angu akalibilidzila kunotjinya,
6 ngandiyegwe mu tjiyelo tjakalulwama,
kuti Ndzimu ubone kuti andina nlandu!
7 Ha kuli kuti ndakatongo pambuka mu zila,
ne mesho angu kasala shule yemula dzangu,
kene kuna itoyi mu maboko angu,
8 ha kwakajalo zwandakadzwala ngazwijiwe ne upoga,
ne zwijo zwe nnda wangu zwisimugwe.
9 “Ha moyo wangu wakatongokuzhugwa ne nkadzi,
kene ndakatongolalila pa nkoba we mbakidzani wangu,
10 ha kwakajalo, nkadzi wangu ngaakhwile mmwe nlume,
kakale nlume upoga ngaawalilane naye!
11 Ngobe kuthama saikoku nlandu nkulu,
nlandu wakafanila kuti ulobegwe shamu ne basumikilisi.
12 Moto unolotesa kose ku Golomodzo,
unowopisa kunoti ku midzi ya kose kwandakavuna.
13 “Ha ndisakabe ne hanya kuteedza nlandalume wangu kene nlandakadzi wangu, beng'ong'ola nge kwangu,
14 ndowothama tjini wali Ndzimu ha watjilingisana nami?
Ha undilingisa matama ndowoudabila nditini kene?
15 Apa ate iwo wakandibumba ukababumba bo kene?
Apa ate iwo wakatibumba tose mu zwibumbilo zwa bomme bedu?
16 “Apa ndakatongo nyima nshayi tjaakabe ekumbila,
ndakatongo tobosa tjilikadzi kene?
17 Apa ndakatongoja tjiwunga ndili ndoga,
ndinyima siyangwa kene?
18 Kudwa mu butjetjana gwangu ndakalela siyang'wa se kunoyita botate.
Kudwa ntolo ndagala nditjengeta tjilikadzi.
19 Apa ndakatongolingilila nthu efa ngoshaya zwiambalo kene,
kene nshayi ngosheta tjaangasungila natjo kene?
20 Apa aazondiboka kudwa mu moyo uwe,
apa andizompa zwiambalo zwakathamwa nge wulu,
yakabe idwa mu danga le pkhwizi dzangu kene?
21 Apa ndakatongo bhayana ne siyamwa,
ngoziba kuti ndowobakunda ku lubazhe kene?
22 Ha kwakajalo, luboko gwangu ngakushomoke mu thudzi,
ngaguvunike pa malunganilo e thudzi.
23 Ngoti ndakabe nditja bushongola gwe Ndzimu,
akuna kuti ndingabe ndakathama tjithu tjakajali saikoku!
24 “Ha ndakabiga kugalabgwe kwangu mu golide,
kene ndakadwa golide nditi, ‘Ndiwe kugalabgwe kwangu,’
25 ha ndakashathila fumwa yangu hwulu,
ne thundu yandashaba nge maboko angu,
26 ha ndakatongo linga zhuba lipenya
kene mwedzi uyenda wakanaka,
27 kuli kuti zwakatongo nditjengela,
ha zwithigamila ha zwinamata,
28 ikoku milandu yakafanila kuti isumikilisigwe,
ngobe kowobe kudwa kuti ndakanyepela Ndzimu masimbawose.
29 “Ha kuli kuti ndakatongo shathila manikano dze tjita tjangu,
kene kuli kushatha ha tjawigwa nge mang'oni,
30 andizotongo thama tjibi ngoleba nge nlomo wangu,
ndilonga bhiso ngekwe butjilo gwatjo.
31 Apa bashingi bangu bakabe basingatongo bhuzwa beti,
‘Ndiani watongoja kasigute nyama iye?’
32 Akuna n'yendi wakatongo lala kuzhe,
ngobe mikoba yakabe igala yakazhuligwa nzhi.
33 Ha ndakasumbika matjinyo angu bathu bamwe sekwa banothama,
ngekusumbika jinyo langu mukati kwangu,
34 ngoti ndakabe nditja mibunga,
nditja kubhatisa shoni njudzi dza kanyi kwedu,
kwakathama kuti ndigale ndakabgwata.
35 Apa ndiani unowonditeedza kene?
Ndobiga tjinyala tjangu, ili butendeki gwe lebeswa langu,
Masimbawose ngabandidabile.
Handabe ndakabhata lukwalo gwakakwagwa
nge tjita tjangu ngekwe milandu yangu.
36 Ndabe ndowoyenda ndakagusenga pamwe ne pamwe,
ndabe ndowogusenga ne mu nsholo dumbu se tjiala,
37 Ndabe ndowoubudza ngekwe thambo dzangu dzose,
se nkololo wa mambo ndabe ndowolingisana nawo.
38 “Ha kuli kuti nnda wangu unolila nge kwangu,
ne ngolo dzawo dzose dzinyolo nge mishodzi,
39 ha kuli kuti ndakaja mitjelo yawo ndisingalipe,
ha ndakabulaya beni bawo,
40 ipapo, mu bumo gwe mathunde ngaumele mihwa.”
Matama a Jobe anoma ipapa.