Patukkung 7
1 Hminhoihaih loe atho kana hmuihoih tui pongah hoih kue; duekhaih ni loe tapenhaih ni pongah hoih kue.
A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 Buhraenghaih im ah caeh pongah loe kadueh kami im ah caeh to hoih kue; duekhaih loe kaminawk boih hanah boenghaih loklam ah oh pongah, kahing kaminawk mah palung thungah pakuem han angaih.
[It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
3 Pahnuih pongah palungset to hoih kue; palungsae mikhmai mah poeknawmhaih to khuk.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
4 Palungha ih palung loe palungsethaih tongh kami im ah oh, toe kamthu ih palung loe kanawm acaenghaih im ah oh.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Kamthunawk ih laa to tahngaih pongah loe, palungha kami zoehhaih lok tahngaih to hoih kue.
[It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Kamthunawk pahnuihaih lok loe long laom tlim ih hmai tapraek soekhringkung baktiah oh; hae doeh azom pui ni.
As the sound of thorns under a cauldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
7 Kami pacaekthlaekhaih mah palungha kami to amthusak moe, bokhaih tangqum mah palung amrosak.
for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
8 Hmuen boenghaih loe amtonghaih pongah hoih kue, amtueng suthaih loe amoek pongah hoih kue.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
9 Karangah palungphui hmah, kamthunawk ih palung thungah loe palungphuihaih to oh.
Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
10 Tipongah canghnii ih aninawk loe vaihi thuem ih aninawk pongah hoih kue loe, tiah dueng hmah; to baktih lokduenghaih loe palungha lok na ai ni.
Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for you do not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
11 Palunghahaih loe qawk baktiah hoih moe, ni hnu kaminawk hanah amekhaih oh.
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
12 Phoisa loe pakaahaih ah oh baktih toengah, palunghahaih doeh pakaahaih ah oh; toe palunghahaih mah tacawtsak ih amekhaih loe hae ni; palunghahaih tawn kaminawk hanah hinghaih to paek.
For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
13 Sithaw mah sak ih hmuen to poek ah; anih mah angkawnsak tangcae ih hmuen to mi mah maw patoeng thai tih?
Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
14 Atue hoih li naah anghoe ah; toe atue set naah khopoek ah; kami mah hmabang angzo han koi hmuen to panoek thai han ai ah, Sithaw mah taham sae kahoih maeto pacoeng maeto phaksak.
In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
15 Azom pui ah ka hing nathung hmuennawk boih to ka hnuk boeh; katoeng kami loe a toenghaih pongah duek moe, kasae kami loe sethaih hoiah saning kasawk ah hing lat.
I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
16 Toeng hmoek hmah loe, palungha hmoek hmah; tipongah nangmah hoi nangmah to nam ro han loe?
Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest you be confounded.
17 Sae hmoek hmah loe, kamthu baktiah doeh om hmah; tipongah atue pha ai naah na duek han loe?
Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest you should die before your time.
18 Pathlong ving ai ah, patawn caeng han kaom hmuen maeto loe hae ni; ue, Sithaw zii kami loe hmuennawk boih thung hoiah loih tih.
It is well for you to hold fast by this; also by this defile not your hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
19 Palungha kami maeto loe palunghahaih hoiah, vangpui thungah kaom thacak kami hato pongah thacak kue.
Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 Zaehaih sah vai ai, kahoih hmuen khue kasah, katoeng kami hae long nuiah mi doeh om ai.
For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
21 Minawk mah thuih ih lok boih to tahngai hmah; to tiah na sak nahaeloe na tamna mah ang padaeng ih lok to na thaih moeng tih.
Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 Nang doeh minawk kasae na thuih toeng, tiah na palung mah panoek.
For many times he shall trespass against you, and repeatedly shall he afflict your heart; for thus also have you cursed others.
23 Hae hmuennawk hae palunghahaih hoiah ka tanoek boih boeh; palunghahaih hoiah ka koep han boeh, tiah ka thuih, toe palunghahaih to ka phak vawt.
All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Kangthla parai hmuen, kathuk parai hmuen to mi mah maw hnu thai tih?
[That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
25 Palunghahaih hoiah ohhaih takung to pakrong moe, panoek thaih pacoengah, kasae kaminawk amthuhaih hoi kamthunawk amthuhaih panoek thai hanah, ka poekhaih palungthin to ka paqoi.
I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
26 Dongh hoi palok baktiah poekhaih katawn, qui hoiah kakom thaih nongpata loe duekhaih pongah khaa kue, tiah ka panoek; Sithaw zii kami loe anih khae hoiah loih tih, toe kazae kami loe anih khaeah aman tih.
And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 Khenah, patukkung mah ka hnuk ih hmuen loe hae tiah oh; ka pakrong moe, ka hnu ai ih hmuen hnuk thai hanah, maeto pacoeng maeto ka pakoep naah,
Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
28 nongpa sangto thungah kami katoeng maeto ka hnuk, toe nongpatanawk boih thungah katoeng kami maeto doeh ka hnu ai.
which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
29 Khenah, ka hnuk ih hmuen maeto loe, Sithaw mah kami to katoengah sak, toe kaminawk loe pop parai hmuen to sak hanah pakrong o lat.
But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
