Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Minhawinae teh hmuitui satui hlak ahawi. Duenae hnin hai khenae hnin hlak bet ahawi.
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.
Ro im cei e heh pawi koe cei e hlak ahawi. Bangkongtetpawiteh, tami pueng ni ro im vah lam a pâpout awh. Kahring lahun e naw ni hai a lungthin thungvah a pâkuem awh han.
3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Panui e hlakvah lungmathoe e bet ahawi. Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungmathoenae ni lungthin bet ahawi sak.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
Lungkaangnaw e lungthin teh ro im vah ao. Tamipathunaw e lungthin teh pawi im vah ao.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
Tamipathunaw e la sak lawk thai hlakvah, lungkaangnaw e tounnae lawk tarawi e bet ahawi.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
Bangkongtetpawiteh, tamipathunaw e panuinae teh hlaam rahim vah pâkhing ka kang e lawk hoi a kâvan. Hot naw hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Atangcalah, rektapnae ni a lungkaangnaw a pathu sak. Tadawngnae ni lungthin a rawk sak.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
Apoutnae teh kamtawngnae hlak ahawi, a lungkasaw e tami teh a lungkalen e tami hlakvah ahawi.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
Lungkhuek han totouh na lungduem sak hanh. Lungkhueknae teh kapathunaw e lungthung vah hmuen ouk a la.
10 Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Bangkongmaw yampa e atueng teh atu e atueng hlak ahawi telah na pacei awh hanh. Hottelah na pacei pawiteh lungangnae lahoi pacei e na hoeh.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
Lungangnae teh râw patetlah ahawi. Kanî ka hmawt e naw koe hnokahawi a sak.
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.
Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungangnae ni na rawngkhan, tangka ni hai na rawngkhan thai. Thoumthainae teh banghloimaw aphu ao. Thoumthainae ka coe e tami teh hringnae hai a coe.
13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
Cathut ni hno a sak e hah pouk haw, a longkawi sak e teh apinimaw a palan thai han.
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.
Yawhawinae na coe nah lunghawi awh. Rucatnae na kâhmo nah kâpouk awh. Tami ni ka tho hane kawi a panue nahanlah Cathut ni hawinae hoi roedengnae kâletta lah a poe.
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.
Ayawmlah ka onae atueng nah hno pueng ka hmu thai toe. Tami kalan ni a lannae dawk a sung e tie hoi, tami kahawihoeh ni ahawihoehnae, dawk a hringsaw e hai thoseh ka hmu.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Hloi lan hanh, hloi lungang hanh. Bangkongmaw nama e hawinae hah raphoe hanelah na ngai.
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Hloi mathout hanh, hloi pathu hanh. Bangkongmaw atueng a pha hoehnahlan due hane na ngai.
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.
Hete lawk heh pâkuem hanelah ahawi. Thada hanh, Cathut ka taket e tami teh hno pueng dawk hoi a hlout han.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
Khopui thung kaawm e ukkung hra touh hlak, tami lungkaang buet touh e lungangnae a tha aohnawn.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Yon nuen laipalah hnokahawi ka sak e tami a nuen kahawi e talai van buet touh hai awm hoeh.
21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Ayâ ni a dei e pueng hah pâkuem hanh. Hottelah na tetpawiteh, na san e thoebo lawk na thai han.
22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
Nama roeroe ni atuhoitu, ayânaw thoe na bo e hah na lung hoi na panue.
23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Hetnaw pueng heh, kai ni lungangnae hoi ka noumcai toe. Ka lungang han toe ka ti navah, lungangnae hoi hoe ka kâhla.
24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
Kahlat ni teh kadung poung e hno hah apinimaw a tawng vaiteh a hmu thai han.
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;
Lungangnae hoi akongnaw hah ka tawng teh panue hanelah thoseh, povangtanae hoi pathunae panue nahanelah thoseh, ka lung ni a kâyawm toe.
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.
Tangkhek hoi tamlawk lah kaawm e napui e lungthin teh duenae hlak bet akhahnawn tie ka panue. Cathut a lung ka youk lah kaawm e ni duengdoeh hote napui kut dawk hoi a hlout han. Yon ouk ka sak e teh a kâman han.
27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
Phungdeikung ti e teh kai ni ka tawng teh ka hmu hoeh rae hah hmu hanelah buet touh hnukkhu buet touh a pâphue.
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.
Tongpa thong touh thung dawk buet touh ka hmu toe. Napui thong touh thung buet touh boehai ka hmawt hoeh.
29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
Kai ni ka hmu e buet touh teh, Cathut ni tami hah tamikalan lah a sak ei teh, taminaw ni moikapap e pouknae hah a tawng awh.
