Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem ih siangpahrang, David capa, Patukkung ih loknawk loe hae tiah oh.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Azom pui ni! Azom pui ni! tiah Patukkung mah thuih; azom pui ni! Hmuen boih hae azom pui ah ni oh.
3 What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
Kami mah ni tlim ah angpho qawt hoi toksakhaih atho timaw oh?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
Adung maeto laemh naah, adung kalah maeto angzoh; toe long loe dungzan khoek to cak poe.
5 And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;
Ni doeh tacawt tahang moe, akun tathuk, angmah tacawthaih ahmuen hoiah ni tacawt let.
6 arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
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 run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, thither they return 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 labour; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with 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 What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall 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 [Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed 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 memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last [time].
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 applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.
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 beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
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 crooked cannot be made straight: and deficiency cannot be numbered.
Angkawn pacoeng boeh loe patoengh thai ai boeh; angaihaih doeh kroek thai ai boeh.
16 I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know 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 my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
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 For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
Palunghahaih pop baktiah, palungsethaih doeh pop; panoekhaih pop kami loe, palungsethaih doeh pop aep.
