Ecclesiastes 10
1 Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
Dueknah pilyang loh thungnom situi thaa te a rhim sak bangla vel lunghmangnah vik te cueihnah lakah khaw, thangpomnah lakah khaw nul.
2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah a bantang la mael tih aka ang kah lungbuei tah a banvoei la mael.
3 Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
Longpuei ah pataeng lunghmang tah lunghmang bangla a lungbuei a talh hil pongpa tih a lunghmang te a cungkuem taengah a thui.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
Aka taemrhai kah mueihla loh nang taengah pai mai cakhaw na hmuen phawt boeh. Hoeihnah long ni tholhnah a len khaw a duem sak.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
Boei mikhmuh lamloh tohtamaeh la aka thoeng ka hmuh te khomik hmuiah a thae la om.
6 The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
Pavai te hmuensang la muep a khueh vaengah hlanglen tah mathoe la kho a sak.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
Marhang dongkah sal rhoek ka hmuh vaengah mangpa rhoek tah diklai ah sal bangla pongpa uh.
8 He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
Rhom aka too khaw a khuila cungku tih vongtung aka phae khaw rhul loh amah a tuk.
9 He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
Lungto aka puen khaw amah ah a kothae tih thing aka phaek khaw te nen te tohngah saeh.
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.
Thi te duu tih a ha te a haat pawt atah thadueng khaw vak. Tedae rhoeikhangnah tah cueihnah long ni a khui sak.
11 If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
Calthai a om pawt ah rhul loh a tuk atah cal kung ham rhoeikhangnah moenih.
12 The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
Hlang cueih ka dongkah ol tah mikdaithen om tih aka ang kah hmuilai long tah amah a dolh.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
A ka dongkah ol tongnah te lunghmangnah la om tih a ka dongkah ol bawtnah khaw boethae angvawknah la om.
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?
Lunghmang tah ol pung tih metla a om khaw hlang loh ming pawh. A hnuk ah metla a om ham khaw a taengah ulong a thui pah voel?
15 The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
Hlang ang kah thakthaenah loh amah a kohnue sak tih khopuei la caeh ham khaw ming pawh.
16 Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Na manghai khaw camoe tih na mangpa rhoek loh mincang ah nah a caak uh te, khohmuen nang ngawn tah khomap.
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.
Na manghai te hlangcoelh capa van tih, na mangpa rhoek long khaw rhuihahnah ham pawt tih thayung thamal hamla a tue vaengah aka ca khohmuen nang tah na yoethen.
18 By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
Ngaknah lamloh tul pae hmawn tih kut poemnah lamloh im cae.
19 Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
Nueihbu ham buh a khueh tih misurtui loh hingnah ko a hoe sak. Tedae tangka loh a cungkuem te a doo.
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.
Na cangnah nen khaw manghai te tap boeh. Imkhui kah na thingkong dongah khaw hlanglen te tap boeh. Vaan kah vaa loh ol te khuen vetih ol te a phae loh a kungmah taengah thui ve.
