1 “Apa nthu aana nshingo wakasima mu shango kene?
Apa mazhuba awe aatonga e nshingi wakatapiwa kene?
2 Se nlanda unoyemula mitutshi ye madekwana,
se nthu wakatapiwa wakalindila ndipo iye ye zhuba,
3 ndizo ndapiwa mimwedzi ye suli,
masiku e buyendasi ndakaapiwa.
4 Andiizela ndozwibhuzwa nditi, ‘Ndowomuka lini?’
Koga busiku bulefu, ndolala ndipitukana kudzina kuyedza.
5 Mbili wangu wakaambadziwa nge hwonyana ne shambgwa,
ganda langu lowomelela, likakwanganyuka.
6 Mazhuba angu anopinda elibilidza kupinda thali imu nnali,
anopela koga kusina kugalabgwe.
7 “Kumbulani, kuti butjilo gwangu i phepo koga,
mesho angu aatjowofa abona tjakanaka kakale.
8 Zhisho le unondibona alitjowondibona kakale,
mowondishaka koga ndowobe ndisitjipo.
9 Se gole linopaladza likasitjabong'we
kwakajalo, nthu unongina mu gomba le lufu aatjabuya.
10 Aatjowofa abgwilila ku ng'umba iye kakale,
ne bugalo gugwe agutjowofa gwan'ziba.
11 “Nenguba kwakajalo andingazhalile nlomo wangu!
Ndowolebeleka koga nenguba meya yangu ili mu buyendasi.
Ndowong'ong'ola koga ndili mu kugwadzika.
12 Apa ndi gungwa kene bhukanana le gungwa kene?
Kwamungadzina mukandilisa kene?
13 Ha nditi bulawo gwangu gowondinyaladza,
bulalo gwangu gowobhatsha kutapudza ng'ong'ola kwangu,
14 ipapo monditjisa nge mawoloto,
mukandipalusa moyo nge mibono,
15 kwandinowana ndishalula kusiniwa,
pa kutjila ndili mafupa koga.
16 Ndoshima butjilo gwangu, aanditowotjilila tjose.
Mundiletje, ngoti butjilo gwangu i phepo koga!
17 Apa nthu uni, kwamunga ntolela pezhugwi kene,
kakale wamungashwa muna hanya nge kukwe kene?
18 Wamungashwa mushola mangwanana mamwe ne mamwe kene?
Wamungashwa mulika tjibaka ne tjibaka kene?
19 Apa kowotola tjibaka tjingapani kudusa mesho enyu mundili,
kene kundipa tjibaka tje fema kene?
20 Apa ha ndatjinya ndinga thamani kumuli imwe nlindi we bathu?
Ini mandithama panobhaya nsebe wenyu kene?
Ini ndabe ntolo mu muli kene?
21 Ini musingandizwiibhatigwe milandu yangu kene?
Ini musingaduse kutjena jinyo langu kene?
Ngoti tjinyolotjo ndowobe ndabe mu gomba ndafa,
ngono mowondishaka mukasindibone.”
1 Human life is like forced army service,
like a life of hard manual labor,
2 like a slave longing for cool shade;
like a worker waiting to be paid.
3 Month after month I have nothing to live for;
night after night brings me grief.
4 When I lie down to sleep, the hours drag;
I toss all night and long for dawn.
5 My body is full of worms;
it is covered with scabs;
pus runs out of my sores.
6 My days pass by without hope,
pass faster than a weaver's shuttle.
7 Remember, O God, my life is only a breath;
my happiness has already ended.
8 You see me now, but never again.
If you look for me, I'll be gone.
9-10 Like a cloud that fades and is gone,
we humans die and never return;
we are forgotten by all who knew us.
11 No! I can't be quiet!
I am angry and bitter.
I have to speak.
12 Why do you keep me under guard?
Do you think I am a sea monster?
13 I lie down and try to rest;
I look for relief from my pain.
14 But you—you terrify me with dreams;
you send me visions and nightmares
15 until I would rather be strangled
than live in this miserable body.
16 I give up; I am tired of living.
Leave me alone. My life makes no sense.
17 Why are people so important to you?
Why pay attention to what they do?
18 You inspect them every morning
and test them every minute.
19 Won't you look away long enough
for me to swallow my spit?
20 Are you harmed by my sin, you jailer?
Why use me for your target practice?
Am I so great a burden to you?
21 Can't you ever forgive my sin?
Can't you pardon the wrong I do?
Soon I will be in my grave,
and I'll be gone when you look for me.