1 “Nthu wakazwagwa nge nkadzi
una mazhuba mashomanana, kakale uzhele mang'oni.
2 Unopasula se luba linoti tjinyolotjo likabuna,
unopinda se ntutshi, aatogalila tjose.
3 Apa nenguba akajalo, mon'sundila mesho kene?
Mukan'zhisa mbeli kwenyu kun'sumikilisa kene?
4 Apa ndiani ungadusa tjibuyanana muna tjisi tjibuyanana kene?
Akuna ne ung'ompela!
5 Mazhuba e nthu e bupenyu akalizanyidziwa
ne mbalo ye mimwedzi iye moyiziba,
makanthamila n'gathu waasingake katjuluka.
6 Musinlinge ndizo anyaluluke,
kuti ashathe se ntapiwa eshathila mazhuba awe.
7 “Kuna kugalabgwe mu nti,
ha wathubugwa unothinila kakale
thabi dzawo dze nsunilila adzitofa.
8 Midzi yawo inokwegula mu mavu
bhato lawo ilo lofila mu mavu,
9 ne kwakajalo ha uhwa doba koga
unothinila se nti ntjetjana.
10 Koga nthu ha efa ndilo bhelelo lile
unofema gwe bupelo kobe kwapela nge kukwe.
11 Se vula ipkhwa mu gakhwa
ne njizi dzopkhwa dzikawomelela,
12 ha zhuzhugwi kutjiyapo,
nthu unoizela ngono kasitjamuke kakale,
aatomusiwa mu hwope.
13 Ungati munga ndisumbika mu bugalo gwe bafi
mundisumbike kudzina bushongola gwapela,
ngekwa itjetjo mowondikumbula!
14 Apa nthu ha efa unosomuka kakale wali?
Mazhuba wose mazhuba anolema e nshingo
ndowolindila kuswikila mang'oni apela.
15 Ha mundidana ndowomudabila,
ndizo mowoshuba nshingo wamakathama nge maboko enyu.
16 Ngelebeswa mowobala thambo dzangu,
ngono mukasitja londolodze jinyo langu.
17 Kutjinya kwangu kwakasungigwa mu saka,
mowovukidzila jinyo langu.
18 “Koga dombo lowa likwamukana,
ne shongwe inotshedugwa mu magalo ayo,
19 se vula dzikwegudza mabgwe,
vula ye midumbi inokukula mavu e shango,
ndiko sekwa munokolomodza kugalabgwe kwe nthu.
20 Mokulila nthu mukantatila kutjena tjatjose,
mukaliga tjiso tjitje kafila kutjena.
21 Bakololo babe banokudziwa koga iye atoziba,
ne belengudziwa aatobona.
22 Iye ngekukwe unoteedzela zwibhayo zwimunli,
ne buyendasi gumu nli!”
1 We are all born weak and helpless.
All lead the same short, troubled life.
2 We grow and wither as quickly as flowers;
we disappear like shadows.
3 Will you even look at me, God,
or put me on trial and judge me?
4 Nothing clean can ever come
from anything as unclean as human beings.
5 The length of our lives is decided beforehand—
the number of months we will live.
You have settled it, and it can't be changed.
6 Look away from us and leave us alone;
let us enjoy our hard life—if we can.
7 There is hope for a tree that has been cut down;
it can come back to life and sprout.
8 Even though its roots grow old,
and its stump dies in the ground,
9 with water it will sprout like a young plant.
10 But we die, and that is the end of us;
we die, and where are we then?
11 Like rivers that stop running,
and lakes that go dry,
12 people die, never to rise.
They will never wake up while the sky endures;
they will never stir from their sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in the world of the dead;
let me be hidden until your anger is over,
and then set a time to remember me.
14 If a man dies, can he come back to life?
But I will wait for better times,
wait till this time of trouble is ended.
15 Then you will call, and I will answer,
and you will be pleased with me, your creature.
16 Then you will watch every step I take,
but you will not keep track of my sins.
17 You will forgive them and put them away;
you will wipe out all the wrongs I have done.
18 There comes a time when mountains fall
and solid cliffs are moved away.
19 Water will wear down rocks,
and heavy rain will wash away the soil;
so you destroy our hope for life.
20 You overpower us and send us away forever;
our faces are twisted in death.
21 Our children win honor, but we never know it,
nor are we told when they are disgraced.
22 We feel only the pain of our own bodies
and the grief of our own minds.