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.
And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 Khomik neh vangnah, hla neh aisi loh hmuep tih khonal hnukkah khomai a mael hlan vaengah.
before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the 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.
in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,
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.
and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought 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.
they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about 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 the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;
7 Te vaengah laipi tah a om hmuen bangla diklai la mael tih mueihla tah aka pae kung Pathen taengla mael.
and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
8 A honghi kah a honghi ni, thuituenkung loh a honghi ni boeih a thui.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.
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 moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, [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 Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is 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 the wise are as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from 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.
And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of 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.
Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
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 shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
