Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
Palung thungah ka poek, Vaihi caeh ah, takpum nawmhaih loe kawbang maw oh tito kam tuengsak han, toe hae hmuen doeh azom pui ni.
2 I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
Pahnuihaih loe amthuhaih ah oh moe, nawmhaih mah timaw angcoengsak? tiah ka thuih.
3 I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
Kaminawk mah hing thung ni tlim ah timaw sak han hoih, tito ka panoek thai hanah, misurtui hoi nawm hanah tha ka pathok, toe amthuhaih ni ka naeh lat; ka palung mah palunghahaih hoiah ni loklam to ang hnuksak.
4 I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
Kalen parai tok to ka sak; kaimah hanah imnawk to ka sak moe, misur takhanawk doeh ka sak.
5 I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
Takhanawk hoi apawk takhanawk to ka sak moe, takha thungah thingthai kung congca ka thling.
6 I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
Thingnawk to tui paek hanah, tuili to ka sak.
7 I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,
Ka im ah tapen tamnanawk, tamna nongpatanawk hoi nongpanawk doeh ka tawnh; kai om ai naah Jerusalem ah kaom tangcae kaminawk pongah doeh maitaw hoi tuunawk to ka tawnh kue.
8 and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.
Kaimah hanah sui hoi sumkanglungnawk to ka patung, siangpahrangnawk hoi prae thung ih hmuenmaenawk boih doeh ka tawnh; laasak kop nongpa hoi nongpatanawk to ka tawnh moe, nongpanawk poeknawm o hanah laasakhaih ahmuennawk, congca hmuennawk doeh ka tawnh.
9 So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
Kai loe ka len parai, ka hmaa ah kaom Jerusalem kaminawk pongah ka len moe, palunghahaih doeh ka tawnh.
10 Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
Ka mik mah khit ih hmuennawk nuiah angsumhaih ka tawn ai, ka palungthin nawmsak koi hmuen pongah angsumhaih ka tawn ai; ka toksakhaih boih ah anghoehaih ka tawnh; ka toksakhaih tangqum to ka hnuk.
11 Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Toe ka ban mah sak ih hmuennawk boih to ka khet naah, ka sak ih toknawk boih loe azom pui ni, takhi hnukah patomhaih hoiah ni anghmong; ni tlim ah atho ohhaih tidoeh om ai.
12 Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?
To pacoengah poekhaih ka paqoi moe, palunghahaih, palungmaenghaih hoi amthuhaihnawk to ka poek; sak tangcae hmuennawk pong kamtlai ah, siangpahrang pacoengah kaom kami mah timaw sah thai tih?
13 And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
Aanghaih loe vinghaih pongah hoih kue baktih toengah, palunghahaih loe amthuhaih pongah hoih kue, tito ka panoek.
14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
Palungha kami ih mik loe a lu nuiah suek; toe kamthu loe vinghaih thungah caeh; toe boeng naah nihnik mah tongh han koi hmuen loe maeto ah ni oh, tito ka panoek.
15 So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.
To pongah palung thungah hae tiah ka poek, Kamthu khaeah kaom hmuen baktiah ni, kai khaeah doeh oh toeng; to tih nahaeloe tipongah kai loe palungha kue ah ka oh loe? To pacoengah loe ka palung thungah, Hae hmuen doeh azom pui bae hae, tiah ka poek.
16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!
Vaihi kaom hmuennawk hae hmabangah loe pahnet boih ah om tih, to pongah palungha kami doeh kamthu baktiah ni pahnet o tih; palungha kami doeh kamthu baktiah ni dueh toeng tih.
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
To pongah hinghaih hae ka hnukma; ni tlim ah sak ih tok mah palungsethaih ni ang paek; hmuen boih loe azom pui ni, takhi hnukah patom rumramhaih tok ah ni oh o.
18 I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
Ue, ka hnukah angzo han koi kami khaeah caehtaak han oh pongah, ni tlim ah angpho qawt hoi ka sak ih toknawk boih to ka hnukma.
19 And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
Anih loe palungha maw, to tih ai boeh loe amthu maw, tiah mi mah maw panoek tih? Tha pathok moe, tok ka sakhaih boih, ni tlim ah palunghahaih kam tuengsak ih hmuennawk boih loe anih mah ni la tih. To pongah hae hmuen doeh azom pui ni.
20 So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
To pongah ni tlim ah tha ka pathok moe, tok ka sakhaih mah palung ang boengsak sut boeh.
21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.
Kami mah palunghahaih, panoekhaih, thoemhaih hoi toksah tih, toe a tawnh ih hmuennawk to toksah ai kami hanah ni caehtaak boih tih. Hae hmuen doeh azom pui ah oh moe, kalen koek tahamsethaih ah ni oh.
22 For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
Kami mah ni tlim ah tha pathokhaih boih, poek patanghaih hoi toksakhaih pongah, timaw amekhaih hnuk?
23 Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
Anih ih aninawk boih loe palungsethaih ah oh moe, a toksakhaih doeh patangkhanghaih ah ni oh; ue, aqum ah doeh palungthin to anghak ai. Hae hmuen doeh azom pui ni.
24 Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
Kami loe caak moe, naek pacoengah, sak ih tok nui ah kanawm acaenghaih pongah kahoih kue tidoeh om ai boeh. Ka hnukhaih dan ah, hae hmuen doeh Sithaw ban hoi kaom hmuen ah ni oh.
25 For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
Angmah ai ah, mi maw caaknaek to hnu moe, nawmhaih pakrong thaih?
26 To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
A mikhnuk ah kahoih kami khaeah Sithaw mah, palunghahaih, panoekhaih hoi anghoehaih to paek; toe kazae kami khaeah loe khosak raihaih to paek tih, anih mah tawnh ih hmuennawk loe Sithaw palung anghoesak kami hanah paek boih tih. Hae hmuen doeh azom pui ni, takhi hnukah patom rumramhaih tok ah ni oh.
