Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one’s birth.
Minhawinae teh hmuitui satui hlak ahawi. Duenae hnin hai khenae hnin hlak bet ahawi.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
Ro im cei e heh pawi koe cei e hlak ahawi. Bangkongtetpawiteh, tami pueng ni ro im vah lam a pâpout awh. Kahring lahun e naw ni hai a lungthin thungvah a pâkuem awh han.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Panui e hlakvah lungmathoe e bet ahawi. Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungmathoenae ni lungthin bet ahawi sak.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Lungkaangnaw e lungthin teh ro im vah ao. Tamipathunaw e lungthin teh pawi im vah ao.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Tamipathunaw e la sak lawk thai hlakvah, lungkaangnaw e tounnae lawk tarawi e bet ahawi.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
Bangkongtetpawiteh, tamipathunaw e panuinae teh hlaam rahim vah pâkhing ka kang e lawk hoi a kâvan. Hot naw hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
7 Surely extortion maketh the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroyeth the understanding.
Atangcalah, rektapnae ni a lungkaangnaw a pathu sak. Tadawngnae ni lungthin a rawk sak.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Apoutnae teh kamtawngnae hlak ahawi, a lungkasaw e tami teh a lungkalen e tami hlakvah ahawi.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Lungkhuek han totouh na lungduem sak hanh. Lungkhueknae teh kapathunaw e lungthung vah hmuen ouk a la.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Bangkongmaw yampa e atueng teh atu e atueng hlak ahawi telah na pacei awh hanh. Hottelah na pacei pawiteh lungangnae lahoi pacei e na hoeh.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.
Lungangnae teh râw patetlah ahawi. Kanî ka hmawt e naw koe hnokahawi a sak.
12 For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungangnae ni na rawngkhan, tangka ni hai na rawngkhan thai. Thoumthainae teh banghloimaw aphu ao. Thoumthainae ka coe e tami teh hringnae hai a coe.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Cathut ni hno a sak e hah pouk haw, a longkawi sak e teh apinimaw a palan thai han.
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything [that shall be] after him.
Yawhawinae na coe nah lunghawi awh. Rucatnae na kâhmo nah kâpouk awh. Tami ni ka tho hane kawi a panue nahanlah Cathut ni hawinae hoi roedengnae kâletta lah a poe.
15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth [his life] in his evil-doing.
Ayawmlah ka onae atueng nah hno pueng ka hmu thai toe. Tami kalan ni a lannae dawk a sung e tie hoi, tami kahawihoeh ni ahawihoehnae, dawk a hringsaw e hai thoseh ka hmu.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Hloi lan hanh, hloi lungang hanh. Bangkongmaw nama e hawinae hah raphoe hanelah na ngai.
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Hloi mathout hanh, hloi pathu hanh. Bangkongmaw atueng a pha hoehnahlan due hane na ngai.
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all.
Hete lawk heh pâkuem hanelah ahawi. Thada hanh, Cathut ka taket e tami teh hno pueng dawk hoi a hlout han.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
Khopui thung kaawm e ukkung hra touh hlak, tami lungkaang buet touh e lungangnae a tha aohnawn.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Yon nuen laipalah hnokahawi ka sak e tami a nuen kahawi e talai van buet touh hai awm hoeh.
21 Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;
Ayâ ni a dei e pueng hah pâkuem hanh. Hottelah na tetpawiteh, na san e thoebo lawk na thai han.
22 for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
Nama roeroe ni atuhoitu, ayânaw thoe na bo e hah na lung hoi na panue.
23 All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Hetnaw pueng heh, kai ni lungangnae hoi ka noumcai toe. Ka lungang han toe ka ti navah, lungangnae hoi hoe ka kâhla.
24 That which is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out?
Kahlat ni teh kadung poung e hno hah apinimaw a tawng vaiteh a hmu thai han.
25 I turned about, and my heart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
Lungangnae hoi akongnaw hah ka tawng teh panue hanelah thoseh, povangtanae hoi pathunae panue nahanelah thoseh, ka lung ni a kâyawm toe.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
Tangkhek hoi tamlawk lah kaawm e napui e lungthin teh duenae hlak bet akhahnawn tie ka panue. Cathut a lung ka youk lah kaawm e ni duengdoeh hote napui kut dawk hoi a hlout han. Yon ouk ka sak e teh a kâman han.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, [laying] one thing to another, to find out the account;
Phungdeikung ti e teh kai ni ka tawng teh ka hmu hoeh rae hah hmu hanelah buet touh hnukkhu buet touh a pâphue.
28 which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
Tongpa thong touh thung dawk buet touh ka hmu toe. Napui thong touh thung buet touh boehai ka hmawt hoeh.
29 Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Kai ni ka hmu e buet touh teh, Cathut ni tami hah tamikalan lah a sak ei teh, taminaw ni moikapap e pouknae hah a tawng awh.
