Ecclesiastes 9
1 So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.
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.
2 It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.
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.
3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.
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.
4 There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion.
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.
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.
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.
6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.
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.
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
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.
8 Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.
A tue takuem ah na himbai te a bok la om saeh lamtah na lu dongkah situi te khaw vawt boel saeh.
9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.
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.
10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. (Sheol h7585)
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)
11 I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
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.
12 For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.
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.
13 I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:
Khomik hmuikah cueihnah he ka hmuh vaengah kai ham tah te te len coeng.
14 There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.
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.
15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
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.
16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
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.
17 The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.
Hlangcueih ol tah aka ang rhoek aka taemrhai kah a pang lakah mongnah neh a hnatun uh.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Cueihnah he caemrhal kah hnopai lakah then dae pakhat kah tholh loh a then muep a phae.
