1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? 2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? 3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? 4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? 5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; 6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. 7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; 8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door; 10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. 11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. 12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase. 13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; 14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? 15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; 17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; 18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;) 19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; 20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: 22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. 23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; 25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; 26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; 27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: 28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. 29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: 30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. 31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied. 32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: 34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door? 35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. 36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. 37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. 38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; 39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
1 “Ndakathama tjidumano ne mesho angu,
kuti asitongolinga mwanadi.
2 Gobe langu labelowobeni kudwa pezhugwi ku Ndzimu kene,
ne lukata gwangu kudwa kuna Masimbawose ba pezhugwi ini kene?
3 Apa zwakabipa azwitowila babi kene?
Apa tjiga ate tja ibabo banothama mbipo kene?
4 Apa autobona zila dzangu kene?
Apa autobala thambo imwe ne imwe yangu kene?
5 “Ha kuli kuti ndakabe ndiyenda mu zila dze bupitipiti,
makumbo angu akalibilidzila kunotjinya,
6 ngandiyegwe mu tjiyelo tjakalulwama,
kuti Ndzimu ubone kuti andina nlandu!
7 Ha kuli kuti ndakatongo pambuka mu zila,
ne mesho angu kasala shule yemula dzangu,
kene kuna itoyi mu maboko angu,
8 ha kwakajalo zwandakadzwala ngazwijiwe ne upoga,
ne zwijo zwe nnda wangu zwisimugwe.
9 “Ha moyo wangu wakatongokuzhugwa ne nkadzi,
kene ndakatongolalila pa nkoba we mbakidzani wangu,
10 ha kwakajalo, nkadzi wangu ngaakhwile mmwe nlume,
kakale nlume upoga ngaawalilane naye!
11 Ngobe kuthama saikoku nlandu nkulu,
nlandu wakafanila kuti ulobegwe shamu ne basumikilisi.
12 Moto unolotesa kose ku Golomodzo,
unowopisa kunoti ku midzi ya kose kwandakavuna.
13 “Ha ndisakabe ne hanya kuteedza nlandalume wangu kene nlandakadzi wangu, beng'ong'ola nge kwangu,
14 ndowothama tjini wali Ndzimu ha watjilingisana nami?
Ha undilingisa matama ndowoudabila nditini kene?
15 Apa ate iwo wakandibumba ukababumba bo kene?
Apa ate iwo wakatibumba tose mu zwibumbilo zwa bomme bedu?
16 “Apa ndakatongo nyima nshayi tjaakabe ekumbila,
ndakatongo tobosa tjilikadzi kene?
17 Apa ndakatongoja tjiwunga ndili ndoga,
ndinyima siyangwa kene?
18 Kudwa mu butjetjana gwangu ndakalela siyang'wa se kunoyita botate.
Kudwa ntolo ndagala nditjengeta tjilikadzi.
19 Apa ndakatongolingilila nthu efa ngoshaya zwiambalo kene,
kene nshayi ngosheta tjaangasungila natjo kene?
20 Apa aazondiboka kudwa mu moyo uwe,
apa andizompa zwiambalo zwakathamwa nge wulu,
yakabe idwa mu danga le pkhwizi dzangu kene?
21 Apa ndakatongo bhayana ne siyamwa,
ngoziba kuti ndowobakunda ku lubazhe kene?
22 Ha kwakajalo, luboko gwangu ngakushomoke mu thudzi,
ngaguvunike pa malunganilo e thudzi.
23 Ngoti ndakabe nditja bushongola gwe Ndzimu,
akuna kuti ndingabe ndakathama tjithu tjakajali saikoku!
24 “Ha ndakabiga kugalabgwe kwangu mu golide,
kene ndakadwa golide nditi, ‘Ndiwe kugalabgwe kwangu,’
25 ha ndakashathila fumwa yangu hwulu,
ne thundu yandashaba nge maboko angu,
26 ha ndakatongo linga zhuba lipenya
kene mwedzi uyenda wakanaka,
27 kuli kuti zwakatongo nditjengela,
ha zwithigamila ha zwinamata,
28 ikoku milandu yakafanila kuti isumikilisigwe,
ngobe kowobe kudwa kuti ndakanyepela Ndzimu masimbawose.
29 “Ha kuli kuti ndakatongo shathila manikano dze tjita tjangu,
kene kuli kushatha ha tjawigwa nge mang'oni,
30 andizotongo thama tjibi ngoleba nge nlomo wangu,
ndilonga bhiso ngekwe butjilo gwatjo.
31 Apa bashingi bangu bakabe basingatongo bhuzwa beti,
‘Ndiani watongoja kasigute nyama iye?’
32 Akuna n'yendi wakatongo lala kuzhe,
ngobe mikoba yakabe igala yakazhuligwa nzhi.
33 Ha ndakasumbika matjinyo angu bathu bamwe sekwa banothama,
ngekusumbika jinyo langu mukati kwangu,
34 ngoti ndakabe nditja mibunga,
nditja kubhatisa shoni njudzi dza kanyi kwedu,
kwakathama kuti ndigale ndakabgwata.
35 Apa ndiani unowonditeedza kene?
Ndobiga tjinyala tjangu, ili butendeki gwe lebeswa langu,
Masimbawose ngabandidabile.
Handabe ndakabhata lukwalo gwakakwagwa
nge tjita tjangu ngekwe milandu yangu.
36 Ndabe ndowoyenda ndakagusenga pamwe ne pamwe,
ndabe ndowogusenga ne mu nsholo dumbu se tjiala,
37 Ndabe ndowoubudza ngekwe thambo dzangu dzose,
se nkololo wa mambo ndabe ndowolingisana nawo.
38 “Ha kuli kuti nnda wangu unolila nge kwangu,
ne ngolo dzawo dzose dzinyolo nge mishodzi,
39 ha kuli kuti ndakaja mitjelo yawo ndisingalipe,
ha ndakabulaya beni bawo,
40 ipapo, mu bumo gwe mathunde ngaumele mihwa.”
Matama a Jobe anoma ipapa.