1 I have made a solemn promise
never to look with lust at a woman.
2 What does Almighty God do to us?
How does he repay human deeds?
3 He sends disaster and ruin
to those who do wrong.
4 God knows everything I do;
he sees every step I take.
5 I swear I have never acted wickedly
and never tried to deceive others.
6 Let God weigh me on honest scales,
and he will see how innocent I am.
7 If I have turned from the right path
or let myself be attracted to evil,
if my hands are stained with sin,
8 then let my crops be destroyed,
or let others eat the food I grow.
9 If I have been attracted to my neighbor's wife,
and waited, hidden, outside her door,
10 then let my wife cook another man's food
and sleep in another man's bed.
11 Such wickedness should be punished by death.
12 It would be like a destructive, hellish fire,
consuming everything I have.
13 When any of my servants complained against me,
I would listen and treat them fairly.
14 If I did not, how could I then face God?
What could I say when God came to judge me?
15 The same God who created me
created my servants also.
16 I have never refused to help the poor;
never have I let widows live in despair
17 or let orphans go hungry while I ate.
18 All my life I have taken care of them.
19 When I found someone in need,
too poor to buy clothes,
20 I would give him clothing made of wool
that had come from my own flock of sheep.
Then he would praise me with all his heart.
21 If I have ever cheated an orphan,
knowing I could win in court,
22 then may my arms be broken;
may they be torn from my shoulders.
23 Because I fear God's punishment,
I could never do such a thing.
24 I have never trusted in riches
25 or taken pride in my wealth.
26 I have never worshiped the sun in its brightness
or the moon in all its beauty.
27 I have not been led astray to honor them
by kissing my hand in reverence to them.
28 Such a sin should be punished by death;
it denies Almighty God.
29 I have never been glad when my enemies suffered,
or pleased when they met with disaster;
30 I never sinned by praying for their death.
31 All those who work for me know
that I have always welcomed strangers.
32 I invited travelers into my home
and never let them sleep in the streets.
33 Others try to hide their sins,
but I have never concealed mine.
34 I have never feared what people would say;
I have never kept quiet or stayed indoors
because I feared their scorn.
35 Will no one listen to what I am saying?
I swear that every word is true.
Let Almighty God answer me.
If the charges my opponent brings against me
were written down so that I could see them,
36 I would wear them proudly on my shoulder
and place them on my head like a crown.
37 I would tell God everything I have done,
and hold my head high in his presence.
38 If I have stolen the land I farm
and taken it from its rightful owners—
39 if I have eaten the food that grew there
but let the farmers that grew it starve—
40 then instead of wheat and barley,
may weeds and thistles grow.
The words of Job are ended.
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.