1 “Ami mba urwa okukara nomuinyo.
Puratena kondjemeno
yandje ondetarise, Ndjambi.
Mombamisiro yomuinyo
wandje me hungire.
2 O ndji pangura, Ndjambi.
Ndji raera! Otjiposa tji u na
tjo na ami otjatjike?
3 Osemba kove tji mo tjiti outwe nai are?
Tji mo nyengwa imbi ove
omuini mbi wa ungura are?
Nu tji mo yorayora
kondunge yovanauvi are?
4 Ove mo munu oviṋa otja
omundu tje muna are?
5 Omuinyo woye omusupi
tjimuna owetu are?
Ozombura zoye ze kapita
tjimuna omayuva womundu are?
6 Okutjavi tji mo teza
ourunde wandje aehe,
nu tji mo paha ozondataiziro
zandje azehe nḓu mbi na zo?
7 Ove mo tjiwa kutja ami hi nondjo,
nokutja kape nomundu
ngu me ndji yama kove.
8 “Omake woye onge ndji zezenga,
nu onge ndji mema;
nambano omake tjingewo
ongu maye ndji nyono.
9 Zemburuka kutja ove we
ndji ungura pomunoko;
nambano mo ndji ṱukuṱura
mbi yaruke koruuma are?
10 Ove wa yandja omasa ku
tate kutja e ndji kwate;
Ove we ndji kurisira
mezumo ra mama.
11 Ove wa tunga orutu rwandje
nomaṱupa nomisepa,
nu wa mema orutu rwandje
nomaṱupa nonyama nomukova.
12 Ove we ndji pa omuinyo
norusuvero oruzikame,
nomerikendero woye ye
ndji ṱiza kutja mbi hupe.
13 Nungwari nambano ami me
tjiwa kutja oruveze aruhe ndwi ove
ooripura okundjihihamisa mongumumu.
14 Ove oondjitjevere kutja me tjiti ourunde,
kokutja u panḓe okundjiisira.
15 Tjimanga tji mba zu nokutjita ouvi,
ami tjandje mbi ri moumba kove,
nungwari tji mba tjiti ousemba,
hi nokupewa ondjambi.
Ami mba ningisa ondjenda nu mba ṱohoṋi.
16 Andakuzu ami mbi ri yera omuini,
ove otjo ndji yeva otja ongeyama;
notjiti ovihimise, kutja u ndji hihamise.
17 Ove aruhe u kara novahongonone
tjiva okundjipirura;
omazenge woye ku
ami ye ryamena ko;
nove aruhe u ndji rwisa
novimbumba ovipe vyovita.
18 “Okutjavi, Ndjambi,
tji wa tarera ame kwatwa?
Andakuzu mba koka,
ngunda ambi hiya munika komundu!
19 Atja rira kokuwa
okuza mezumo ra mama
nokuyenda ongarate keyendo,
komurungu wokukara nomuinyo.
20 Omuinyo wandje kau ri pokuyanda are?
Ndji esa mbi rikarere erike!
Ndji esa mbi yoroke
moruveze ndu mba sye po.
21 Ami me i tjimanga, nu himee kotoka;
me i kehi ronḓorera noromuzororema,
22 kehi ronḓorera
noromuzire noromazunganeno,
ondjerera oini ku i ri onḓorera.”
Job Complains to God
I Am Sick of Life!
1 I am sick of life!
And from my deep despair,
I complain to you, my God.
2 Don't just condemn me!
Point out my sin.
3 Why do you take such delight
in destroying those you created
and in smiling on sinners?
4 Do you look at things
the way we humans do?
5 Is your life as short as ours?
6 Is that why you are so quick
to find fault with me?
7 You know I am innocent,
but who can defend me
against you?
8 Will you now destroy
someone you created?
9 Remember that you molded me
like a piece of clay.
So don't turn me back
into dust once again.
10 As cheese is made from milk,
you created my body
from a tiny drop.
11 Then you tied my bones together
with muscles and covered them
with flesh and skin.
12 You, the source of my life,
showered me with kindness
and watched over me.
You Have Not Explained
13 You have not explained
all of your mysteries,
14 but you catch and punish me
each time I sin.
15 Guilty or innocent,
I am condemned and ashamed
because of my troubles.
16 No matter how hard I try,
you keep hunting me down
like a powerful lion.
17 You never stop accusing me;
you become furious and attack
over and over again.
18 Why did you let me be born?
I would rather have died
before birth
19 and been carried to the grave
without ever breathing.
20 I have only a few days left.
Why don't you leave me alone?
Let me find some relief,
* 21 before I travel to the land
22 of darkness and despair,
the place of no return.
