Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Ecclesiastes, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem manghai David capa kah thuituenkung ol.
2 Ecclesiastes said: Vanity of vanities! Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity!
A honghi, a honghi ni. Thuituenkung loh, “A honghi, a honghi, a honghi boeih ni,” a ti.
3 What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?
Khohmik hmuiah a thakthae bangla a thakthaenah cungkuem lamloh hlang taengah balae a rhoeikhangnah.
4 A generation passes away, and a generation arrives. But the earth stands forever.
Thawnpuei loh cet tih cadil thoeng coeng dae diklai he kumhal duela a pai moenih.
5 The sun rises and sets; it returns to its place, and from there, being born again,
Khomik loh thoeng tih khomik he kun bal. Te phoeiah amah hmuen te a hloem pahoi tiih thoeng.
6 it circles through the south, and arcs toward the north. The spirit continues on, illuminating everything in its circuit, and turning again in its cycle.
Tuithim la cet tih tlangpuei la aka mael khohli he a tinghil, a tinghil doela cet. Te phoeiah khohli he a hlaep la mael.
7 All rivers enter into the sea, and the sea does not overflow. To the place from which the rivers go out, they return, so that they may flow again.
Soklong boeih khaw tuitunli la pawk. Tedae tuitunli tah hah tlaih pawh. Soklong rhoek khaw a long nah hmuen la mael tih cet.
8 Such things are difficult; man is not able to explain them with words. The eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear fulfilled by hearing.
Olka boeih he bonghnaek. Hlang loh a thui hamla a noeng moenih. Mik loh a hmuh te hah pawt tih hna a yaak te cung pawh.
9 What is it that has existed? The same shall exist in the future. What is it that has been done? The same shall continue to be done.
Mebang khaw aka om tangtae bangla om bal vetih, mebang khaw a saii tangtae bangla a saii bal ni. Te dongah kah khomik hmuikah he a thai boeih moenih.
10 There is nothing new under the sun. Neither is anyone able to say: “Behold, this is new!” For it has already been brought forth in the ages that were before us.
“A thai he hmu lah, he tah khosuen lamloh om oepsoeh coeng tih mamih hlan lamloh om,’ a ti te ol om nim?
11 There is no remembrance of the former things. Indeed, neither shall there be any record of past things in the future, for those who will exist at the very end.
Lamhma kah neh hmailong kah khaw poekkoepnah om pawh. Aka om ham te khaw hmailong kah aka om taengah poekkoepnah om mahpawh.
12 I, Ecclesiastes, was king of Israel at Jerusalem.
Kai tah thuituenkung neh Jerusalem kah Israel soah manghai la ka om.
13 And I was determined in my mind to seek and to investigate wisely, concerning all that is done under the sun. God has given this very difficult task to the sons of men, so that they may be occupied by it.
Vaan hmui kah a saii boeih te cueihnah neh dawtlet ham khaw, yaam ham khaw ka lungbuei ka paek. Hlang capa rhoek te amah phaep uh saeh tila Pathen loh yoethae bibi a khueh pah.
14 I have seen all that is done under the sun, and behold: all is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit.
Khomik hmui kah a saii bitat boeih te ka hmuh. Te dongah a cungkuem he a honghi neh khohli doinah ni ne.
15 The perverse are unwilling to be corrected, and the number of the foolish is boundless.
Aka khun he dueng hamla coeng pawt tih vitvawtnah khaw tae hamla coeng pawh.
16 I have spoken in my heart, saying: “Behold, I have achieved greatness, and I have surpassed all the wise who were before me in Jerusalem.” And my mind has contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
Kamah tah ka lungbuei ah ka cal tih, “Ka pantai tih Jerusalem ah khaw ka mikhmuh kah aka om boeih lakah cueihnah ka thap, ka lungbuei long khaw cueihnah neh mingnah muep a hmuh la he,” ka ti.
17 And I have dedicated my heart, so that I may know prudence and doctrine, and also error and foolishness. Yet I recognize that, in these things also, there is hardship, and affliction of the spirit.
Ka lungbuei he cueihnah ming ham neh anglatnah ming ham ka paek. Te dongah lunghmangnah he khaw khohli dongkah kohnek ni tila ka ming.
18 Because of this, with much wisdom there is also much anger. And whoever adds knowledge, also adds hardship.
Cueihnah a cungkuem nen khaw konoinah cungkuem tih, mingnah a koei khaw nganboh ni a koei.
