1 Ipapo Jobe kashandula eti,
2 “Dumbu shungu yangu ha ingabe ingayegwa,
mang'oni angu wose kabigwa mu zwiyelo,
3 nge lebeswa angalema kupinda nsetje we gungwa,
ndizo dumbu matama angu epitsha zwingapa.
4 Ngoti misebe ya Masimbawose imundili
meya yangu inong'wa bushongola gwayo,
Kutjisa kwe Ndzimu kwakandilingisana.
5 Dumbu donki ye shango ingalilila zojiwa ina fulo kene?
Kene ng'ombe ingalilila zojiwa yakabhata ija kene?
6 Apa zojiwa zwisina n'jo zwingajika zwisina mwenyu kene?
Kene kutjena kwe bumbulu kungazipa kuli koga kene?
7 Moyo wangu unoti zwi ha ndibona zojiwa zwakajali,
zojiwa zwakajali zondibuzisa moyo.
8 “Ungati ndingawana tjandinokumbila,
ungati Ndzimu ungandipa tjandinoyemula.
9 Ungati kunga shathisa Ndzimu kundipeleledza,
ungati ungatambunudza luboko gwawo ukandithubulila kutjena!
10 Ipapo ndingabe ndowobe nditjina kunyaladzika,
ndabe ndowoshatha nenguba ndili mu zogwadza zwingapani,
ngoti andizonyanyayidza matama e Wakayengemala.
11 Dumbu simba langu ndilipi kuti ndingadzikitadza kene?
Kakale bhelelo langu ini kuti ndingabe moyo nlefu kene?
12 Apa simba langu longa simba le bgwe kene?
Apa mbili wangu unonga phangula kene?
13 Apa ndina simba kuzwibhatsha kene?
Bhudilila kwatatiwa mundili.
14 “Iye wakadziyidzika wakafanila thamigwa buthu nge nkwinya uwe,
nenguba angadwa akafupatila kutja Masimbawose.
15 Koga imwi zwikamu zwangu mu batjengedzi,
motjengedza se lukobana gunotuta makuni,
16 guna vula ina kapuku ne makaa akazwisumbika,
17 koga kuti mu tjibaka tjekupisa enyawuka,
kuti kopisa enyelela mu magalo awo.
18 Bayendi banopambuka mu zila yabo betola zila ipoga,
bakayenda mu shango yakawomelela ngono bakafa.
19 Bayendi be Tema banoshaka vula,
bayendi be Sheba banoishaka vula nge kugalabgwe!
20 Banotemeka mafupa ngoti babe begalabgwe,
banoswika pa lukobana ngono bakapuna moyo.
21 Saikoku ndiko sekwa muli iko kundili,
mobona tjiga tjandiwila ngono motja.
22 Apa ndatongoti, ‘Mundipe tjipo?’
Kene kuli kuti, ‘Mu fumwa yenyu mundipe tjizwimba nlomo kene?’
23 Kene kuli kuti, ‘Mundiangule mu luboko gwe tjita kene?’
Kene kuli kuti, ‘Mundidzutunule mu luboko gwe batshambilidzi kene?’
24 “Mundidiye, ndowonyalala,
Ndakatjinyani? Munditjenesele.
25 Lebeswa logwadza seni!
Koga kutjemela kwenyu kotjemelani?
26 Apa mungati motjemela matama kene,
ngono mutola matama e nthu wazwitoboka se phepo koga kene?
27 Mubuya mukalobela siyang'wa hakata,
mubuya muteetshanya nkwinya wenyu.
28 “Koga ngwenu, shathilani kundilinga,
andingatjanyepe mbeli kwenyu.
29 Shandukani kaa, letjani kulelekela ntome, ndomukumbila.
Shandukani kaa, imi andina nlandu ipapa.
30 Kene kuna salulwama mu nlomo wangu?
Kene moti anditoziba lebeswa kene?
Job
1-2 If my troubles and griefs were weighed on scales,
3 they would weigh more than the sands of the sea,
so my wild words should not surprise you.
4 Almighty God has shot me with arrows,
and their poison spreads through my body.
God has lined up his terrors against me.
5 A donkey is content when eating grass,
and a cow is quiet when eating hay.
6 But who can eat flat, unsalted food?
What taste is there in the white of an egg?
7 I have no appetite for food like that,
and everything I eat makes me sick.
8 Why won't God give me what I ask?
Why won't he answer my prayer?
9 If only he would go ahead and kill me!
10 If I knew he would, I would leap for joy,
no matter how great my pain.
I know that God is holy;
I have never opposed what he commands.
11 What strength do I have to keep on living?
Why go on living when I have no hope?
12 Am I made of stone? Is my body bronze?
13 I have no strength left to save myself;
there is nowhere I can turn for help.
14 In trouble like this I need loyal friends—
whether I've forsaken God or not.
15 But you, my friends, you deceive me like streams
that go dry when no rain comes.
16 The streams are choked with snow and ice,
17 but in the heat they disappear,
and the stream beds lie bare and dry.
18 Caravans get lost looking for water;
they wander and die in the desert.
19 Caravans from Sheba and Tema search,
20 but their hope dies beside dry streams.
21 You are like those streams to me,
you see my fate and draw back in fear.
22 Have I asked you to give me a gift
or to bribe someone on my behalf
23 or to save me from some enemy or tyrant?
24 All right, teach me; tell me my faults.
I will be quiet and listen to you.
25 Honest words are convincing,
but you are talking nonsense.
26 You think I am talking nothing but wind;
then why do you answer my words of despair?
27 You would even roll dice for orphan slaves
and make yourselves rich off your closest friends!
28 Look me in the face. I won't lie.
29 You have gone far enough. Stop being unjust.
Don't condemn me. I'm in the right.
30 But you think I am lying—
you think I can't tell right from wrong.