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 precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's 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 house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
3 Pahnuih pongah palungset to hoih kue; palungsae mikhmai mah poeknawmhaih to khuk.
Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is 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 joy.
5 Kamthunawk ih laa to tahngaih pongah loe, palungha kami zoehhaih lok tahngaih to hoih kue.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
6 Kamthunawk pahnuihaih lok loe long laom tlim ih hmai tapraek soekhringkung baktiah oh; hae doeh azom pui ni.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
7 Kami pacaekthlaekhaih mah palungha kami to amthusak moe, bokhaih tangqum mah palung amrosak.
For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
8 Hmuen boenghaih loe amtonghaih pongah hoih kue, amtueng suthaih loe amoek pongah hoih kue.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 Karangah palungphui hmah, kamthunawk ih palung thungah loe palungphuihaih to oh.
Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in 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.
Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
11 Palunghahaih loe qawk baktiah hoih moe, ni hnu kaminawk hanah amekhaih oh.
Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those 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 under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
13 Sithaw mah sak ih hmuen to poek ah; anih mah angkawnsak tangcae ih hmuen to mi mah maw patoeng thai tih?
Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath 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.
On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure 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.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
16 Toeng hmoek hmah loe, palungha hmoek hmah; tipongah nangmah hoi nangmah to nam ro han loe?
Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Sae hmoek hmah loe, kamthu baktiah doeh om hmah; tipongah atue pha ai naah na duek han loe?
Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy 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 good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
19 Palungha kami maeto loe palunghahaih hoiah, vangpui thungah kaom thacak kami hato pongah thacak kue.
Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
20 Zaehaih sah vai ai, kahoih hmuen khue kasah, katoeng kami hae long nuiah mi doeh om ai.
For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never 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 unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 Nang doeh minawk kasae na thuih toeng, tiah na palung mah panoek.
For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast 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 this have I proved by 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?
Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can 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.
Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
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 as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will 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, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
28 nongpa sangto thungah kami katoeng maeto ka hnuk, toe nongpatanawk boih thungah katoeng kami maeto doeh ka hnu ai.
What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
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.
Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
