Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem ih siangpahrang, David capa, Patukkung ih loknawk loe hae tiah oh.
2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
Azom pui ni! Azom pui ni! tiah Patukkung mah thuih; azom pui ni! Hmuen boih hae azom pui ah ni oh.
3 What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
Kami mah ni tlim ah angpho qawt hoi toksakhaih atho timaw oh?
4 One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.
Adung maeto laemh naah, adung kalah maeto angzoh; toe long loe dungzan khoek to cak poe.
5 The sun comes up and the sun goes down, and goes quickly back to the place where he came up.
Ni doeh tacawt tahang moe, akun tathuk, angmah tacawthaih ahmuen hoiah ni tacawt let.
6 The wind goes to the south, turning back again to the north; circling round for ever.
Takhi loe aloih bangah song tathuk moe, aluek bangah amlaem tahang; ahnuk ahma amhae moe, a songhaih ahmuen ah amlaem let.
7 All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
Vapuinawk boih loe tuipui ah long o tathuk; toe tuipui loe koi ai toengtoeng vop, vapuinawk loe angmacae long tangsuekhaih ahmuen ah amlaem o let.
8 All things are full of weariness; man may not give their story: the eye has never enough of its seeing, or the ear of its hearing.
Hmuen boih loe kami mah thui thaih han ai khoek to, angpho haih koiah ni oh o; mik mah a hnukhaih to boep thai ai, naa doeh a thaihaih hoiah koi thai ai.
9 That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.
Kaom han koi hmuen loe, kaom tangcae hmuen baktiah ni om tih; sak han kaom hmuen doeh, sak tangcae hmuen baktih ni sah let tih; ni tlim ah hmuen kangtha tidoeh om ai.
10 Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.
Khenah, Hae loe hmuen kangtha ah oh, tiah thuih han koi hmuen oh maw? To baktih hmuen loe canghnii hoiah ni oh boeh.
11 There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
Canghnii ih hmuennawk to mi mah doeh panoek ai boeh; angzo han koi kaminawk mah doeh, angzo han koi hmuennawk to panoek o mak ai.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai, Patukkung loe Jerusalem Israel siangpahrang ah ka oh.
13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.
Ni tlim ah sak ih hmuennawk boih to palunghahaih hoiah ka pakrong moe, panoek thai hanah tha ka pathok; Sithaw mah to hmuenzit to kaminawk hanah pahoe pae boeh.
14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
Ni tlim ah sak ih hmuennawk to ka hnuk boih; khenah, hmuen boih loe azom pui ni, poek angpho han ih ni oh o.
15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.
Angkawn pacoeng boeh loe patoengh thai ai boeh; angaihaih doeh kroek thai ai boeh.
16 I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem — yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
Khenah, kai loe, ka om ai nathuem ih Israel ukkungnawk pongah, ka len kue moe, palunghahaih bangah doeh ka sang kue; ue, palunghahaih hoi panoekhaih to pop kue ah ka tawnh, tiah ka poek.
17 And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
Palunghahaih bang, amthuhaih bang hoi poek cai ai ah ohhaih bangah doeh, ka panoek thai hanah palungthin to ka paek; hae hmuen doeh takhi hnuk patom baktiah ni oh toengtoeng.
18 Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.
Palunghahaih pop baktiah, palungsethaih doeh pop; panoekhaih pop kami loe, palungsethaih doeh pop aep.
