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 costly perfume, and the day of death is better 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 a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
3 Pahnuih pongah palungset to hoih kue; palungsae mikhmai mah poeknawmhaih to khuk.
Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.
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 feasting.
5 Kamthunawk ih laa to tahngaih pongah loe, palungha kami zoehhaih lok tahngaih to hoih kue.
It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Kamthunawk pahnuihaih lok loe long laom tlim ih hmai tapraek soekhringkung baktiah oh; hae doeh azom pui ni.
For like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
7 Kami pacaekthlaekhaih mah palungha kami to amthusak moe, bokhaih tangqum mah palung amrosak.
Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Hmuen boenghaih loe amtonghaih pongah hoih kue, amtueng suthaih loe amoek pongah hoih kue.
Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
9 Karangah palungphui hmah, kamthunawk ih palung thungah loe palungphuihaih to oh.
Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts 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.
Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
11 Palunghahaih loe qawk baktiah hoih moe, ni hnu kaminawk hanah amekhaih oh.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits those who 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 provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
13 Sithaw mah sak ih hmuen to poek ah; anih mah angkawnsak tangcae ih hmuen to mi mah maw patoeng thai tih?
Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he 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.
When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming 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 many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
16 Toeng hmoek hmah loe, palungha hmoek hmah; tipongah nangmah hoi nangmah to nam ro han loe?
Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Sae hmoek hmah loe, kamthu baktiah doeh om hmah; tipongah atue pha ai naah na duek han loe?
Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should you 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 good that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
19 Palungha kami maeto loe palunghahaih hoiah, vangpui thungah kaom thacak kami hato pongah thacak kue.
Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
20 Zaehaih sah vai ai, kahoih hmuen khue kasah, katoeng kami hae long nuiah mi doeh om ai.
There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
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.
Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
22 Nang doeh minawk kasae na thuih toeng, tiah na palung mah panoek.
Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often 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 proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
24 Kangthla parai hmuen, kathuk parai hmuen to mi mah maw hnu thai tih?
Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find it?
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 turned my heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is 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.
I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken 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,
“Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
28 nongpa sangto thungah kami katoeng maeto ka hnuk, toe nongpatanawk boih thungah katoeng kami maeto doeh ka hnu ai.
This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did 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.
I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
