< Thuituen 12 >

1 Yoethae khohnin a pai hlan kah na cacawn tue vaengah nang aka suen te poek. Kum loh a pha vaengah tah a khuiah kai hamla kongaih om pawh na ti ni.
Let your mind be turned to your Maker in the days of your strength, while the evil days come not, and the years are far away when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 Khomik neh vangnah, hla neh aisi loh hmuep tih khonal hnukkah khomai a mael hlan vaengah.
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;
3 Te khohnin ah tah im tawt rhoek te tonga uh vetih tatthai hlang rhoek khaw khun uh ni. Sum kuelh rhoek khaw muei vetih paa ni. Bangbuet longah aka so khaw a hmuep pah ni.
In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;
4 Thohkhaih te imdak ah a khaih uh vetih sumkuelh ol khaw dim ni. Vaa ol dongah thoo vetih laa sa nu rhoek khaw boeih ngam uh ni.
When the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of the crushing is low, and the voice of the bird is soft, and the daughters of music will be made low;
5 A sang neh longpuei ah mueirhih te a rhih uh bal ni. Noe thing khaw khooi vetih tangku khaw canawt ni. Huengaihnah khaw talh tih hlang loh amah kah kumhal im la cet tih aka rhaengsae rhoek loh imdak ah a vael uh.
And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;
6 Cak rhui siing a pat pawt ah khaw sui tuidueh paep tih tuisih kah amrhaeng rhek. Tuito kah hmuikil khaw po coeng.
Before ever the silver cord is cut, or the vessel of gold is broken, or the pot is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the water-hole;
7 Te vaengah laipi tah a om hmuen bangla diklai la mael tih mueihla tah aka pae kung Pathen taengla mael.
And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
8 A honghi kah a honghi ni, thuituenkung loh a honghi ni boeih a thui.
All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
9 Aka cueih thuituenkung la a om bangla hoeikhangnah phoeiah khaw pilnam te mingnah neh a tukkil bal tih a khiingmong. Te vaengah thuidoeknah khaw a dueng la muep a khe.
And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.
10 Thuituenkung loh kongaih ol te hmuh hamla a tlap tih oltak ol te a dueng la a daek.
The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.
11 Hlang cueih ol tah ciksum bangla, olboep boei aka khing thikhing bangla om. Te te tu dawn pakhat loh a paek.
The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.
12 Te phoeikah a koeinah la, ka ca te n'thuituen pai saeh. Cabu saii ham he rhu tih bawt pawh. Muep cangnah khaw pumsa kah tawnbanah ni.
And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.
13 Ol bawtnah la a cungkuem aka ya loh Pathen te rhih lamtah a olpaek te tuem. He he hlang boeih ham ni.
This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
14 Bibi boeih neh a thuh boeih te khaw, a thae khaw, a then a khaw Pathen loh laitloeknah khuila a khuen ni.
God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.

< Thuituen 12 >