Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A ming te tah situi then lakah ah then tih dueknah hnin he a cun khohnin lakah then.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
Nguekcoinah im la caeh te buhkoknah im la caeh lakah then. He tah hlang boeih kah a bawtnah coeng tih aka hing loh a lungbuei ah dueh saeh.
3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Konoinah he nueihbu lakah then. Maelhmai thaenah long ni lungbuei a voelphoeng sak.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah nguekcoinah im ah dae aka ang kah lungbuei tah kohoenah im ah om.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
Aka cueih kah tluungnah hnatun he tah aka ang laa aka hnatun hlang lakah then.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
Am lae kah hling ol bangla aka ang kah nueihbu khaw om. Te dongah he khaw a honghi ni.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Hnaemtaeknah loh hlangcueih a yan sak tih kutdoe loh lungbuei a poo sak.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
Ol bawtnah he a tongnah lakah then. Aka ueh kah mueihla he aka oek kah mueihla lakah then.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
Huesak hamla na mueihla neh let sak boeh. Konoinah he aka ang kah rhang dongah ni a kol.
10 Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
“Balae tih hnukbuet kah a tue aka om te tahae kah lakah a then la a om?” ti boeh. Te bang te cueihnah neh na dawt moenih.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
Cueihnah tah rho la then tih khomik aka hmu ham khaw hoeikhang.
12 For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
Cueihnah hlipkhup ah om he tangka hlipkhup kah om banghui ni. Tedae mingnah he tah rhoeikhangnah la om tih cueihnah long tah a kungmah te a hing sak.
13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
Pathen kah bibi te hmu lah. Amah loh a khun sak te dueng hamla aka noeng te unim?
14 In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
A then tue vaengah tah a then la om. Tedae a yoethae tue vaengkah khaw hmu. He khaw dumlai dongah Pathen loh voeivang ah a khueh. Te daengah ni hlang loh a hnukah te pakhat khaw ahmu pawt eh.
15 All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
Kamah kah a honghi tue vaengah a cungkuem te ka hmuh. Amah kah duengnah dongah aka paltham hlang dueng om tih a boethae neh aka nguel halang khaw om.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Aka dueng koek la om boel lamtah hoeikhangnah aih ham khaw cueih boeh. Balae tih namah na phae uh?
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Muep poehlip boel lamtah lunghmang la om boeh. Balae tih namah tue pawt vaengah na duek eh?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
He he na tuuk vaengah na kut te ke lamloh na hlah pawt ham then. Pathen aka rhih ham tah a cungkuem te a noeng.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
Cueihnah long tah aka cueih te khopuei kah aka om boei parha lakah khaw a tanglue sak.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Diklai hman ah hnothen a saii tih aka tholh pawh hlang dueng a om moenih.
21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Ol a thui uh boeih te khaw na lungbuei pae boeh. Te pawt koinih na sal loh namah n'tap te na ya ve.
22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
Namah loh hlang tloe na tap te na lungbuei loh a voei a yet khaw a ming.
23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
He boeih he cueihnah neh ka noemcai tih, “Ka cueih eh?,” ka ti dae kai lamloh lakhla laklo.
24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
Te tla a om te khaw hla coeng tih a dung lakah dung coeng. Te te aka hmu te unim?
25 I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
Kamah neh ka lungbuei khaw, uepnah koikah halangnah neh anglatnah, lunghmangnah te ming ham neh yaam hamla, cueihnah neh poeknah tlap hamla ka maelh.
26 and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
A lungbuei te tluum neh soh la a tung tih a kut dongah pinyennah aka khueh huta he dueknah lakah khahing la ka hmuh. Pathen mikhmuh ah aka then tah anih aeng lamloh loeih suidae aka tholh tah anih loh a tuuk ni.
27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
So lah he, thuituenkung loh a thui bangla poeknah hmuh hamla pakhat soah pakhat ka phoel.
28 which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
Te te ka hinglu loh a tlap pueng dae ka hmuh moenih. Thawngkhat khuiah tongpa pakhat ka hmuh dae te boeih lakli ah huta ka hmuh moenih.
29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
He bueng mah so lah. Pathen loh hlang he a thuem la a saii coeng dae amih loh phuengnah muep a tlap uh te ka hmuh.
