Thuituen 7
1 A ming te tah situi then lakah ah then tih dueknah hnin he a cun khohnin lakah then.
A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
2 Nguekcoinah im la caeh te buhkoknah im la caeh lakah then. He tah hlang boeih kah a bawtnah coeng tih aka hing loh a lungbuei ah dueh saeh.
It's better to go to a funeral than to a party. In the end, everyone dies, and those who are still alive should think about it.
3 Konoinah he nueihbu lakah then. Maelhmai thaenah long ni lungbuei a voelphoeng sak.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
4 Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah nguekcoinah im ah dae aka ang kah lungbuei tah kohoenah im ah om.
Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
5 Aka cueih kah tluungnah hnatun he tah aka ang laa aka hnatun hlang lakah then.
It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
6 Am lae kah hling ol bangla aka ang kah nueihbu khaw om. Te dongah he khaw a honghi ni.
The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
7 Hnaemtaeknah loh hlangcueih a yan sak tih kutdoe loh lungbuei a poo sak.
Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
8 Ol bawtnah he a tongnah lakah then. Aka ueh kah mueihla he aka oek kah mueihla lakah then.
Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
9 Huesak hamla na mueihla neh let sak boeh. Konoinah he aka ang kah rhang dongah ni a kol.
Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
10 “Balae tih hnukbuet kah a tue aka om te tahae kah lakah a then la a om?” ti boeh. Te bang te cueihnah neh na dawt moenih.
Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
11 Cueihnah tah rho la then tih khomik aka hmu ham khaw hoeikhang.
Wisdom is good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
12 Cueihnah hlipkhup ah om he tangka hlipkhup kah om banghui ni. Tedae mingnah he tah rhoeikhangnah la om tih cueihnah long tah a kungmah te a hing sak.
For wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
13 Pathen kah bibi te hmu lah. Amah loh a khun sak te dueng hamla aka noeng te unim?
Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
14 A then tue vaengah tah a then la om. Tedae a yoethae tue vaengkah khaw hmu. He khaw dumlai dongah Pathen loh voeivang ah a khueh. Te daengah ni hlang loh a hnukah te pakhat khaw ahmu pawt eh.
On a good day, be happy. When a bad day comes, stop and think. God made each day, so you don't know what will happen to you next.
15 Kamah kah a honghi tue vaengah a cungkuem te ka hmuh. Amah kah duengnah dongah aka paltham hlang dueng om tih a boethae neh aka nguel halang khaw om.
Throughout my life I've seen so much that is hard to understand. Good people who die young despite doing what is right, and wicked people who live long evil lives.
16 Aka dueng koek la om boel lamtah hoeikhangnah aih ham khaw cueih boeh. Balae tih namah na phae uh?
Don't think you can make yourself right by a lot of religious observance, and don't pretend to be so wise. Do you want to destroy yourself?
17 Muep poehlip boel lamtah lunghmang la om boeh. Balae tih namah tue pawt vaengah na duek eh?
On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why die before your time?
18 He he na tuuk vaengah na kut te ke lamloh na hlah pawt ham then. Pathen aka rhih ham tah a cungkuem te a noeng.
You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
19 Cueihnah long tah aka cueih te khopuei kah aka om boei parha lakah khaw a tanglue sak.
Wisdom gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
20 Diklai hman ah hnothen a saii tih aka tholh pawh hlang dueng a om moenih.
There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
21 Ol a thui uh boeih te khaw na lungbuei pae boeh. Te pawt koinih na sal loh namah n'tap te na ya ve.
Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
22 Namah loh hlang tloe na tap te na lungbuei loh a voei a yet khaw a ming.
for you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
23 He boeih he cueihnah neh ka noemcai tih, “Ka cueih eh?,” ka ti dae kai lamloh lakhla laklo.
I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
24 Te tla a om te khaw hla coeng tih a dung lakah dung coeng. Te te aka hmu te unim?
Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
25 Kamah neh ka lungbuei khaw, uepnah koikah halangnah neh anglatnah, lunghmangnah te ming ham neh yaam hamla, cueihnah neh poeknah tlap hamla ka maelh.
I turned my thoughts to discover, investigate, and to find out more about wisdom and what makes sense. I wanted to know more about how stupid evil really is, and how ridiculous it is to be a fool.
26 A lungbuei te tluum neh soh la a tung tih a kut dongah pinyennah aka khueh huta he dueknah lakah khahing la ka hmuh. Pathen mikhmuh ah aka then tah anih aeng lamloh loeih suidae aka tholh tah anih loh a tuuk ni.
I discovered something more horrible than death: foolishness like a woman who tries to entrap you, who wants to use her mind and hands to catch you and tie you up. Those who follow God will not be caught, but sinners will fall into her trap.
27 So lah he, thuituenkung loh a thui bangla poeknah hmuh hamla pakhat soah pakhat ka phoel.
This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
28 Te te ka hinglu loh a tlap pueng dae ka hmuh moenih. Thawngkhat khuiah tongpa pakhat ka hmuh dae te boeih lakli ah huta ka hmuh moenih.
Although I really searched, I didn't find what I was looking for. People say, “I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman.”
29 He bueng mah so lah. Pathen loh hlang he a thuem la a saii coeng dae amih loh phuengnah muep a tlap uh te ka hmuh.
But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.
