1 Ipapo Zofa we N'namathi kashandula eti,
2 “Njalakang'wa dzangu dzothama kuti ndidabile,
ngoti ndidziyidzika mu nkumbulo.
3 Ndohwa kutjemela kusina kuteta,
ngono mu kuhwisisa kwangu kondisendedzela kuti ndidabile.
4 Atenditi unoziba kudwa tjose ntolo,
kudwa tjibaka tje nthu tjaakabigwa mu shango,
5 kuti kudziwa kwe babi ndekwe tjibakana koga,
ne kuti shatho ye ntjinyi ngeye tjibaka tjifupi koga?
6 Nenguba mazwikudzo awe eswika ku zhuzhugwi,
nenguba nsholo uwe ukutha ku makole,
7 unowolobela tjose se ndobe iye,
ibabo bakatongo mbona banowoti, ‘Ungayi?’
8 Se mawoloto unokanganika kasitjabongwe,
unowotatiwa se mbono ye busiku.
9 Zhisho lakambona alitjowombona kakale,
ne paakatongo gala akutjowombona kakale.
10 Bana babe banowolipa bashayi
ngono maboko awe anobgwiliza fumwa iye.
11 Nenguba mafupa awe ali zhele masimba e butjetjana,
anonolala naye mu hwuluba.
12 “Nenguba bubi guzipa mu nlomo uwe,
nenguba egusumbika kusi kwe lulimi gugwe,
13 nenguba asingashake kuguletja,
egubhatilila mu nlomo uwe,
14 koga zojiwa zwizwe zowoshababa mu ntumbu uwe,
zowoshanduka zwikabe bushungu gwe nyoka munli.
15 Fumwa dzaakamidza unowodzithwa
Ndzimu unowodzidusa mu ntumbu uwe.
16 Unowong'wa bushungu gwe nyoka,
bushungu gwe thumbi gowombulaya.
17 Aatobona njizi dzinowunga
kene wobana dzinowunga butji gwe nyutji ne lubomba.
18 Zwaakashingila unozwibgwiliza zwisakajiwa,
aatoshathila mimwiso ye zwaashaba.
19 Ngobe wakatshambilidza bashayi kabafupatila,
katola ng'umba yaasakabaka.
20 “Ngoti asingamise bugovu gugwe,
akuna tje zwithu zwaaanoda zwinowonsalila.
21 Akuna tjakasala shule kwe aja
ndizo kubhudilila kukwe akungabhatilile.
22 Mukubhudilila kukwe kwakawanda, dziyidzika kowon'pinda mu zila,
simba lose le buyendasi lowowila pezhugwi kukwe.
23 Ha asinozhadza ntumbu uwe,
Ndzimu unowodelusila bushongola gwawo guno thuta,
ukagunisa munli kube zojiwa zwizwe.
24 Unowotizha mu thumo le butale,
nsebe we phangula unowonbhaya.
25 Nsebe unopubula mbili uwe,
ukanophutula ndulo iye
unowigwa nge lutjo lukulu.
26 Zhalima lakati zwii lakalulwamisigwa thundu iye,
moto usina unouthutidza unowonlotesa
ne tjasala mu nshasha uwe tjowotshwa.
27 Kudzimu kowozumbunula jinyo lile,
ngono shango inowon'mukila.
28 Thundu iye yose inowotapiwa,
inowotutiwa mu zhuba le bushongola gwe Ndzimu.
29 Iwoyu ndiwo mbayilo we nthu mbiimbi kudwa ku Ndzimu,
lukata gwaakapiwa ne Ndzimu.”
Zophar's Second Speech
Your Words Are Disturbing
1 Zophar from Naamah said:
2 Your words are disturbing;
now I must speak.
3 You have accused
and insulted me,
and reason requires a reply.
4 Since the time of creation,
everyone has known
5 that sinful people are happy
for only a while.
6 Though their pride and power
may reach to the sky,
7 they will disappear like dust,
and those who knew them
will wonder what happened.
8 They will be forgotten
like a dream
9 and vanish from the sight
of family and friends.
10 Their children will have to repay
what the parents took
from the poor.
11 Indeed, the wicked will die
and go to their graves
in the prime of life.
Sinners Love the Taste of Sin
12 Sinners love the taste of sin;
they relish every bite
13 and swallow it slowly.
14 But their food will turn sour
and poison their stomachs.
15 Then God will make them lose
the wealth they gobbled up.
16 They will die from the fangs
of poisonous snakes
17 and never enjoy rivers flowing
with milk and honey.
18 Their hard work will result
in nothing gained,
19 because they cheated the poor
and took their homes.
20 Greedy people want everything
and are never satisfied.
21 But when nothing remains
for them to grab,
they will be nothing.
22 Once they have everything,
distress and despair
will strike them down,
23 and God will make them swallow
his blazing anger.
24 While running from iron spears,
they will be killed
by arrows of bronze,
25 whose shining tips go straight
through their bodies.
They will be trapped by terror,
26 and what they treasure most
will be lost in the dark.
God will send flames
to destroy them in their tents
with all their property.
27 The heavens and the earth
will testify against them,
28 and all their possessions
will be dragged off
when God becomes angry.
29 This is what God has decided
for those who are evil.