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.
Also call to mind your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of difficulty come, and before the years arrive when you say, “I have no pleasure in them,”
2 Khomik neh vangnah, hla neh aisi loh hmuep tih khonal hnukkah khomai a mael hlan vaengah.
do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark clouds return 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.
That will be the time when the palace guards will tremble, and strong men are bent over, and the women who grind cease because they are few, and those who look out of windows no longer see clearly.
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.
That will be the time when the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of grinding stops, when men are startled at the voice of a bird, and the singing of girls' voices fades away.
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.
That will be the time when men become afraid of heights and of dangers along on the road, and when the almond tree blossoms, and when grasshoppers drag themselves along, and when natural desires fail. Then man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go down 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.
Call to mind your Creator before the silver cord is cut, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the water wheel is broken at the well,
7 Te vaengah laipi tah a om hmuen bangla diklai la mael tih mueihla tah aka pae kung Pathen taengla mael.
before the dust returns to the earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 A honghi kah a honghi ni, thuituenkung loh a honghi ni boeih a thui.
“A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”
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.
The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated and set in order many proverbs.
10 Thuituenkung loh kongaih ol te hmuh hamla a tlap tih oltak ol te a dueng la a daek.
The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright words of truth.
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 wise people are like goads. Like nails driven deeply are the words of the masters in collections of their proverbs, which are taught by one shepherd.
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.
My son, be aware of something more: the making of many books, which has no end and much study brings weariness to the body.
13 Ol bawtnah la a cungkuem aka ya loh Pathen te rhih lamtah a olpaek te tuem. He he hlang boeih ham ni.
The end of the matter after everything has been heard, is that you must fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind.
14 Bibi boeih neh a thuh boeih te khaw, a thae khaw, a then a khaw Pathen loh laitloeknah khuila a khuen ni.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
