Ecclesiastes 10
1 Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
Kadueh taksae mah hmuihoih tui to hmuisae ah angcoengsak baktih toengah, kamthu khosakhaih mah palunghahaih hoi ahmin kahoih pakoehhaih to amrosak.
2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
Palungha kami ih palung loe bantang bangah oh, toe kamthu ih palung loe banqoi bangah oh.
3 Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
Ue, kamthu loe lamcaeh naah doeh, amthuhaih to amtueng moe, angmah amthuhaih to minawk boih khaeah thuih.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
Ukkung mah palung ang phui thuih naah, na ohhaih ahmuen to caeh taak hmah; angdaehahih mah kalen sakpazaehaih to dipsak.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
Ukkung khae hoiah sakpazaehaih tacawt baktih toengah, ni tlim ah ka hnuk ih hmuen kasae to oh.
6 The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
Angraeng mah ahmuen kahnaem ah anghnut naah, kamthu loe kasang ahmuen ah anghnut lat.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
Angraengnawk khok hoiah amkaeh o naah, tamnanawk mah hrang nuiah angthueng o lat.
8 He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
Qumqai kami loe tangqom thungah krah tih; sipae phrae kami loe pahui mah patuk tih.
9 He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
Thlung takhoe kami loe nganbawh kana hak tih; thing khuek kami loe ahmaa caa tih.
10 If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
Caka to kanoe ah taak ai nahaeloe, tha ueng han angaih; toe palunghahaih mah atho ohhaih loklam to hnuksak.
11 If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
Pahui to adoi hoiah na sak cadoeh na patuk tih, lokpunghaih loe amekhaih tidoeh om ai.
12 The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
Palungha kami ih pakha thung hoiah tacawt loknawk loe tahmenhaih to oh, toe kamthu loe angmah ih pahni mah paaeh.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
Anih pakha hoi tacawt tangsuek lok loe amthuhaih hoiah amtong, anih ih lokpaeh boenghaih loe kasae amthuhaih ah oh.
14 A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
Kamthu loe lok pung, kami mah angzo han koi hmuen to thui thai ai; anih hmabang ah timaw om tih, tiah mi mah maw thui thai tih?
15 The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
Vangpui thungah caehhaih loklam to panoek ai baktih toengah, kamthu toksakhaih mah kaminawk angphosak boih.
16 Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Nawkta ukkung siangpahrang ohhaih prae, khawnthaw ah buh raenghhaih poih sah angraengnawk ohhaih prae, nang loe khosak bing!
17 Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
Khingya han koi kaom imthung takoh hoiah tapen siangpahrang ohhaih prae, mu kanae hmoek ai, tha oh hanah atue phak naah buh kacaa angraengnawk ohhaih prae, nang loe tahamhoih.
18 By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
Thasethaih mah im to hmawnsak; bantha set pongah im loe kho longh.
19 Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
Pahnuih hanah ni poih to sak, mu mah kami poeknawmsak; toe phoisa mah hmuenmae to qan thaih boih.
20 Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.
Siangpahrang to palung thung hoiah doeh pasoih hmah; angraengnawk doeh na iihhaih ahmuen hoiah pasoih hmah; van ih tavaa mah na lok to sin ueloe, pakhraeh kaom tavaa mah thui pae moeng tih.
