1 Ipapo Zofa we N'namathi kadabila eti,
2 “Apa matama wose mangapa aatodabigwa kene?
Apa nthu unoleba matama manjinji ungashayiwa nlandu kene?
3 Apa matama awo e ludado anonyaladza balume kene?
Apa audada akuna unowokutjemela kene?
4 Unoti, ‘Kudiya kwangu kwakatjena,
kakale ndi mbuyanana mu mesho enyu.’
5 Koga ungati Ndzimu ungalebeleka,
ukakuzhulila nlomo wawo ukakubudza,
6 ukakubudza zwikohwa zwe butjenjedu,
ngobe butjenjedu gwe lebeswa gukabili.
Ziba woku, Ndzimu unokuloba shamwana isakalizana zwibi zwizo.
7 “Apa ungashaka ukabona zwithu zwikulu zwe Ndzimu?
Apa ungashaka ukabona bhelelo le simba la Masimbawose kene?
8 Lopinda zhuzhugwi dumbu, ungathamani wali?
Lopinda kungina kwe bugalo gwe bafi, ungazibani wali?
9 Tjilizanyo tjalo tjopinda shango nge bulefu,
bupabi gwalo gopinda gungwa.
10 Ha Ndzimu uti upinda ukakulonga mu ng'umba ye busungwa,
ukadanila kusumikilisiwa, apa ndiani ungaudziba kene?
11 Nge malebeswa unoziba bathu basi betjimwe,
apa aubona bubi autobe ne hanya nge kwangu kene?
12 Tjilengwe tjingatjenjela,
koga ha donki ye shango inga zwagwa ili nthu.
13 “Ngono koga ha ungaupa moyo uwo,
ukamilidzila maboko awo kuuli,
14 ha ungalashila kutjena jinyo limu luboko gugo,
ukasiletjedzele bubi gukagala mu nshasha uwo,
15 ipapo ndiko unowomilidza buso gugo usina shoni,
unowoma wakasima usingatje.
16 Ngelebeswa unowokangang'wa mang'oni awo
ukaakumbula se vula yakatongowunga.
17 Butjilo gugo gowopenya kupinda masikati makulu,
zhalima lago likanga mangwanana.
18 Unowonyaladzika ngoti kuna kugalabgwe,
unowobakililika ngono ukanyaluluka wakabakililika.
19 Unowolala kusina unokutjisa,
banji banowoyemula kushathisiwa ndiwe.
20 Koga mesho e babi anowokong'wa,
bakasibone pabangapudzumuka ndipo.
Kugalabgwe kwabo kowobe kuti bangafa.”
Zophar
1-2 Will no one answer all this nonsense?
Does talking so much put you in the right?
3 Job, do you think we can't answer you?
That your mocking words will leave us speechless?
4 You claim that what you say is true;
you claim you are pure in the sight of God.
5 How I wish God would answer you!
6 He would tell you there are many sides to wisdom;
there are things too deep for human knowledge.
God is punishing you less than you deserve.
7 Can you discover the limits and bounds
of the greatness and power of God?
8 The sky is no limit for God,
but it lies beyond your reach.
God knows the world of the dead,
but you do not know it.
9 God's greatness is broader than the earth,
wider than the sea.
10 If God arrests you and brings you to trial,
who is there to stop him?
11 God knows which people are worthless;
he sees all their evil deeds.
12 Stupid people will start being wise
when wild donkeys are born tame.
13 Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God.
14 Put away evil and wrong from your home.
15 Then face the world again, firm and courageous.
16 Then all your troubles will fade from your memory,
like floods that are past and remembered no more.
17 Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon,
and life's darkest hours will shine like the dawn.
18 You will live secure and full of hope;
God will protect you and give you rest.
19 You won't be afraid of your enemies;
many people will ask you for help.
20 But the wicked will look around in despair
and find that there is no way to escape.
Their one hope is that death will come.