Patukkung 12
1 Kai loe to baktih hmuennawk nuiah anghoehaih ka tawn ai, tiah na thuihaih saning mah pha thuih ai vop moe, sethaih aninawk mah na pha thuih ai nathuem, na qoeng li naah, nang Sahkung Sithaw to panoek ah;
Remember, also, thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, “I have no pleasure in them;”
2 to baktih atue loe ni hoi ni aengh om mak ai, khrah hoi cakaeh doeh aang mak ai, kho angzoh moe, tamai anghmat phaenghaih atue ah om tih;
before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars become dark, and the clouds return after the rain;
3 im toep kaminawk loe tasoeh o tih, thacak kaminawk loe kaengkuu o tih, kami tamsi pongah cang kae kaminawk loe anghak o tih, thokbuem hoiah khen kaminawk loe hnu o thai mak ai boeh;
at the time when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened;
4 cang kaehhaih atuenh thazok boeh, to naah lampui taeng ih thoknawk to khaa o tih; tavaa ih lok thaih naah anih to angthawk tih, laasah nongpatanawk mah laa lok kahnaem ah laa to sah o tih;
when the doors are shut in the streets, while the sound of the mill is low; when they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low;
5 nihcae mah kasang ahmuen to zii o tih, loklam ah zithaih to om tih, almond thing loe tadok tacawt ueloe, pakhuh loe nang han hmuen kazit ah om tih, koehhaih palungthin to thazok tih boeh; kami loe angmah ih dungzan im ah caeh boeh pongah, palungsae kaminawk loe loklam ah caeh o tih:
when also they are afraid of that which is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the locust is a burden, and the caper-berry is powerless; since man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets; —
6 to tih ai boeh loe sumkanglung aqui khramhaih maw, sui boengloeng koihhaih maw, tuibap tui sohhaih laom koihhaih maw, to tih ai boeh loe tuikung ah khok angkhaehhaih to om tih.
before the silver cord be snapped asunder, and the golden bowl be crushed, or the bucket broken at the fountain, or the wheel shattered at the well,
7 Maiphu loe a ohhaih long ah amlaem let ueloe, muithla loe paekkung Sithaw khaeah amlaem let tih.
and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.
8 Azom pui ni! azom pui ni! Hmuen boih loe azom pui ah ni oh, tiah patukkung mah thuih.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity!
9 Patukkung loe palungha pongah, kaminawk hanah palunghahaih to patuk; ue, tha pathokhaih hoiah pakrong pacoengah, pop parai palunghahaih loknawk to a sak.
Moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he considered, and sought out, and set in order, many proverbs.
10 Patukung loe tapom thaih koiah kaom loknawk to hnuk thai hanah pakrong, anih mah tarik ih loknawk loe toeng moe, loktang lok ah oh.
The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and to write correctly words of truth.
11 Palungha kami ih loknawk loe, kamsum cung baktih, tuu toepkung mah tuu huih haih hanah patoh ih thingboeng, kaminawk mah thing nawnto takhing haih, sumdiknawk baktiah oh.
The words of the wise are as goads; yea, as nails driven in are the words of members of assemblies, given by one shepherd.
12 To pacoengah ka capa, to baktih loknawk hoi thuitaek ih kami ah om ah; cabu sakhaih loe boeng thai ai; kapop ah amtukhaih mah takpum angphosak.
And, moreover, by these, my son, be warned! To the multiplying of books there is no end, and much study wearieth the flesh.
13 Sangqum boih ah lok pakhaphaih loe hae tiah oh; Sithaw to zii ah loe, a paek ih loknawk to pakuem ah; hae loe kami mah hing thung sak han ih tok ah oh.
Let us hear the end of the whole discourse! Fear God and keep his commandments! For this is the duty of every man.
14 Kasae maw, kahoih maw, tamquta hoiah sak ih hmuen baktih, sak ih hmuennawk baktih toengah Sithaw mah lokcaek tih.
For God will bring every work into the judgment which there is upon every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
