Patukkung 9

1 Ni tlim ah kaom hmuennawk boih ka poek naah, katoeng kaminawk hoi palungha kaminawk mah sak ih hmuen boih Sithaw ban ah ni oh; toe nihcae mah tongh o ih hmuen loe amlunghaih, to tih ai boeh loe hnukmahaih hoiah maw oh, tiah mi mah doeh panoek o ai.

For I thought about all this in my mind to understand about the righteous and wise people and their deeds. They are all in God's hands. No one knows whether love or hate will come to someone.

2 Kasae kami, kahoih kami, ciimcai kami, ciimcai ai kami, angbawnhaih paek kami, angbawnhaih paek ai kami, katoeng kami, kami zae, lokkamhaih sah kami hoi lokkamhaih sak han zii kaminawk nuiah kaom hmuen loe anghmong boih, kami boih nuiah kaom hmuen doeh anghmong boih.

Everyone has the same fate. The same fate awaits righteous people and wicked, the good, the clean and the unclean, and the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As good people will die, so also will the sinner. As the one who swears will die, so also will the man who fears to make an oath.

3 Ni tlim ah kaom hmuennawk boih thungah kasae koek hmuen, kami boih khaeah kaom hmuen loe anghmong boih; ue, kaminawk ih palung loe sethaih hoiah koi; a hing o nathung amthuhaih palung hoiah koi o, to pacoengah duekhaih thungah a caeh o boih.

There is an evil fate for everything that is done under the sun, the same event happens to them all. The hearts of human beings are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. So after that they go to the dead.

4 Kahing kaminawk salakah kaom kami loe oephaih to tawnh; kadueh kaipui pongah loe kahing ui to hoih kue.

For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 Kami mah kai loe ka dueh tih, tiah panoek; toe dueh kami loe tidoeh panoek ai, tangqum hnuk han tawn o ai; panoekhaih doeh anghmat boih boeh.

For living people know they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have any reward because their memory is forgotten.

6 Amlunghaih, hnukmahaih hoi uthaihnawk doeh, anghmat boih boeh; ni tlim ah kaom hnuk han koi taham to natuek naah doeh hnu let mak ai boeh.

Their love, hatred, and envy have vanished long ago. They will never have a place again in anything done under the sun.

7 Caeh ah loe anghoehaih hoiah buh ann to caa ah, poeknawmhaih hoiah misurtui to nae ah; na toksakhaih to Sithaw mah vaihi tapom boeh.

Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.

8 Khokpanai kanglung to abuen ah loe, na lu ah situi angnok toepsoep ah.

Let your clothes be always white and your head anointed with oil.

9 Ni tlim ah Sithaw mah paek ih azom pui ah kaom na hing thungah na palung ih na zu hoiah kanawm ah khosah ah; hae loe ni tlim ah tha pathokhaih hoiah toksak ih atho ah ni oh.

Live happily with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of uselessness, the days that God has given you under the sun during your days of uselessness. That is your reward in life for your work under the sun.

10 Na ban hoi sak han koi hmuennawk boih to tha pathok ah loe sah ah; na caehhaih ahmuen, taprong ah loe toksakhaih doeh, khopoekhaih doeh, to tih ai boeh loe panoekhaih hoi palunghahaih doeh om ai boeh. (Sheol h7585)

Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with your strength, because there is no work or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)

11 Ni tlim ah kaom hmuennawk to ka khet naah, cawnh rang kami mah angnoekhaih to pazawk poe ai, thacak kami mah misa angtukhaih pazawk poe ai, palungha kami doeh zok amhah poe ai; thoemthaih tawn kami doeh angraeng poe ai; palungha kami doeh minawk hmaa ah mikhmai hak poe ai; toe taham sae, taham hoih tonghaih atue mah nihcae nuiah kangvan ah phak thuih boih.

I have seen some interesting things under the sun: The race does not belong to swift people. The battle does not belong to strong people. Bread does not belong to wise people. Riches do not belong to people of understanding. Favor does not belong to people of knowledge. Instead, time and chance affect them all.

12 Kami mah tong han koi atue to panoek ai; palok pongah kaman tanga hoi dongh pongah kaman tavaanawk baktiah, atue kasae mah anih to naeh, anih loe poek ai pui hoiah to baktih raihaih thungah amtimh.

Surely, no one knows when his time will come. As fish are caught in a deadly net, or birds are caught in a snare, the children of human beings are ensnared by evil times that suddenly fall upon them.

13 Hae baktih palunghahaih to ni tlim ah ka hnuk, to hmuen loe kai hanah len parai.

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed great to me.

14 Avang tetta maeto oh moe, to avang thungah kami zetta oh o; thacak siangpahrang loe angzoh moe, to vangpui to takui khoep, anih mah kalen parai misa abuephaih long to takaeh.

There was a small city with only a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great siege ramps against it.

15 To naah to vangpui thungah palungha kamtang maeto oh; to kami ih palunghahaih mah vangpui to pahlong, toe amtang kami to mi mah doeh poek o ai.

Now in the city was found a poor, wise man, who by his wisdom saved the city. Yet later, no one remembered that same poor man.

16 To pongah palunghahaih loe thacakhaih pongah hoih kue, tiah ka thuih; toe kamtang palunghahaih loe tidoeh sah pae o ai; a thuih ih lok doeh tahngai pae o ai.

So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”

17 Ukkung kamthu hanghaih lok tahngaih pongah loe palungha ih loknaem to tahngaih hanah hoih kue.

The words of wise people spoken quietly are heard better than the shouts of any ruler among fools.

18 Palunghahaih loe misatukhaih hmuenmae pongah hoih kue, toe kami zae maeto mah loe pop parai kahoih hmuen to amrosak.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can ruin much good.