1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. 3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. 5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; 6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; 9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. 10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? 11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: 12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a man die, shall he live again ? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity. 18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. 19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man. 20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. 21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. 22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
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!”