Thuituen 9
1 A cungkuem he ka lungbuei ah ka dueh tih a cungkuem he ka boelh. Aka dueng neh aka cueih khaw, a bibi khaw Pathen kut dongah ni a om. Lungnah khaw, hmuhuetnah khaw hlang loh amih hmai kah he boeih a ming moenih.
I thought about all those things, and I concluded that God controls [what happens to] everyone, even those who are wise and those who are righteous. No one knows whether [others] will love them or whether they will hate them.
2 A cungkuem he a cungkuem taengah a om vanbangla, aka dueng ham neh halang ham khaw, aka then ham neh aka caih ham khaw, rhalawt ham khaw, aka nawn ham neh aka nawn pawt ham khaw, aka then bangla aka tholh ham khaw, olhlo bangla toemngam aka rhih ham khaw hmatoeng pakhat ni a om.
[But we know that some time in the future] we will all die; it does not matter whether we act righteously or wickedly, whether we are good or whether we are bad, whether we are acceptable for [worshiping God] or whether [we have done things to cause us to be] unacceptable; it does not matter if we offer sacrifices [to God] or if we do not; it does not matter if we do what we have promised God that we will do or if we do not; [we all die]. The same thing will happen to good people and to sinful people, to those who solemnly promise [to do things for God] and to those who are afraid to make such promises.
3 Khomik hmuikah aka thoeng he cungkuem dongah thae coeng. A cungkuem ham he hmatoeng pakhat la om. Hlang koca rhoek kah lungbuei khaw boethae hah tih amamih a hing vaengah amih thinko ah anglatnah om. Te phoeiah a hnuk la duek uh.
It seems wrong that the same thing happens to everyone on this earth: Everyone dies [EUP]. Furthermore, people’s inner beings are full of evil. People do foolish things while they are alive, and then they die and join those who are already dead.
4 Tedae u khaw hingnah cungkuem taengah kaibaeng tih aka sun uh te tah pangtungnah om. Ui pataeng khaw amah a hing vaengah tah sathueng aka duek lakah then.
While we are alive, we confidently expect [that good things will happen to us]. [We despise] dogs, but it is better to be a dog that is alive than to be a [majestic] lion that is dead.
5 Aka hing rhoek long tah a duek uh ham te a ming dae a duek long tah pakhat khaw a ming uh moenih. Amih ham thapang khaw ming voel pawt tih amih poekkoepnah khaw a hnilh uh coeng.
We who are alive know that [some day] we will die, but dead people do not know anything. Dead people do not receive any more rewards, and people soon forget them.
6 Amih kah lungnah neh amih kah hmuhuetnah khaw, amih kah thatlainah khaw paltham oepsoeh coeng. Khomik hmuiah a thoeng vanbangla a cungkuem dongah amih kah hamsum tah kumhal duela om voel pawh.
[While they were alive], they loved [some people], they hated [some people], they envied [some people], but that all ends when they die. They will never again be a part of anything that happens here on the earth.
7 Cet laeh, na buh te kohoenah neh ca lamtah na misurtui khaw lungbuei then neh o laeh. Pathen loh na bibi te a doe oepsoeh coeng.
[So I say], be joyful [DOU] while you eat your food and drink your wine, because that is what God wants you to do.
8 A tue takuem ah na himbai te a bok la om saeh lamtah na lu dongkah situi te khaw vawt boel saeh.
Wear nice [MTY] clothes and make your face look nice.
9 Khohnin yungah na lungnah yuu neh hingnah hmuh lah. Khomik hmuiah nang taengah m'paek na hingnah te a honghi ni. Hingnah dongkah na hamsum he khaw khohnin yungah nang ham tah a honghi ni. Te dongah na thakthaenah nen ni nang te khomik hmui ah thakthaekung la na om.
Enjoy living with your wife whom you love, all during the time that God has given to you to be alive here on this earth. And even though it is difficult to understand why many things happen, enjoy doing the work that you do here on this earth.
10 Na kut loh saii hamla a hmuh boeih te tah na thadueng neh saii. Na pha ham koi saelkhui ah tah bibi neh poeknah khaw, mingnah neh cueihnah khaw a om moenih. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you are able to do, do it with all your energy, because [some time you will die], and in the place of the dead where you are going, no one works or plans to do anything or knows anything or is wise. (Sheol h7585)
11 Ka mael tih khomik hmuiah he loehlangnah khaw kapyang ham pawt tih caemtloek khaw hlangrhalh rhoek ham moenih, buh khaw aka cueih rhoek bueng ham pawt tih khuehtawn khaw aka yakming rhoek bueng ham moenih, mikdaithen khaw aka ming rhoek bueng ham bal moenih, te boeih te amah tue neh a yoekam bangla thoeng tila ka hmuh.
I have seen something else here on the earth: The person who runs fastest does not [always] win the race, the strongest soldiers do not [always] win the battle, the wisest people do not [always] have food, the smartest people do not [always] become rich, and people who have studied a lot are not [always] (honored/treated very specially) by others; we cannot [always] control what things will happen to us and where they will happen.
12 Te dongah hlang loh amah tue te a ming van moenih. Boethae kah ngoi dongah aka man nga neh pael loh a tuuk vaa banglam ni a om. Amih hlang koca rhoek tah boethae tue loh a hlaeh tih amih te buengrhuet a tlak thil.
No one knows when he will die [EUP]; fish are cruelly caught in a net, and birds are caught in snares/traps; similarly [SIM], people experience disasters at times when they do not expect them to happen.
13 Khomik hmuikah cueihnah he ka hmuh vaengah kai ham tah te te len coeng.
Once I saw something that a wise man did that impressed me.
14 Khopuei he yit tih a khuikah hlang te a yol vaengah tah manghai puei a paan tih a vael phoeiah tluum len a sak thil.
There was a small town, where only a few people lived. The army of a great king came to that town and surrounded it. They built dirt ramps up against the walls in order to climb up and attack the town.
15 Te vaengah a khuikah khodaeng te hlang cueih la phoe tih a cueihnah neh khopuei te a loeih sak. Tedae hlang loh khodaeng te tah hlang la poek pawh.
In that town there was a man who was poor but very wise. Because of doing what that man [suggested], the town was saved; but people [soon] forgot about him.
16 Te dongah, “Cueihnah he thayung thamal lakah then,” ka ti dae khodaeng kah cueihnah tah a hnaep pah tih a ol te khaw hnatun uh pawh.
So I realized that although being wise is better than being strong, if you are poor, no one will appreciate what you do, and people will soon forget what you said.
17 Hlangcueih ol tah aka ang rhoek aka taemrhai kah a pang lakah mongnah neh a hnatun uh.
Speaking quietly what is [very] wise is [much] more sensible than a king shouting to foolish people.
18 Cueihnah he caemrhal kah hnopai lakah then dae pakhat kah tholh loh a then muep a phae.
Being wise is more useful than [a lot of] weapons; but if you do one foolish thing, [it is possible that] because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.
