Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.
Kadueh taksae mah hmuihoih tui to hmuisae ah angcoengsak baktih toengah, kamthu khosakhaih mah palunghahaih hoi ahmin kahoih pakoehhaih to amrosak.
2 The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.
Palungha kami ih palung loe bantang bangah oh, toe kamthu ih palung loe banqoi bangah oh.
3 Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas be himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.
Ue, kamthu loe lamcaeh naah doeh, amthuhaih to amtueng moe, angmah amthuhaih to minawk boih khaeah thuih.
4 If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.
Ukkung mah palung ang phui thuih naah, na ohhaih ahmuen to caeh taak hmah; angdaehahih mah kalen sakpazaehaih to dipsak.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:
Ukkung khae hoiah sakpazaehaih tacawt baktih toengah, ni tlim ah ka hnuk ih hmuen kasae to oh.
6 A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.
Angraeng mah ahmuen kahnaem ah anghnut naah, kamthu loe kasang ahmuen ah anghnut lat.
7 I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.
Angraengnawk khok hoiah amkaeh o naah, tamnanawk mah hrang nuiah angthueng o lat.
8 He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Qumqai kami loe tangqom thungah krah tih; sipae phrae kami loe pahui mah patuk tih.
9 He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.
Thlung takhoe kami loe nganbawh kana hak tih; thing khuek kami loe ahmaa caa tih.
10 If the iron be blunt, and be not as before, but be made blunt, with much labour it shall be sharpened: and after industry shall follow wisdom.
Caka to kanoe ah taak ai nahaeloe, tha ueng han angaih; toe palunghahaih mah atho ohhaih loklam to hnuksak.
11 If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
Pahui to adoi hoiah na sak cadoeh na patuk tih, lokpunghaih loe amekhaih tidoeh om ai.
12 The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.
Palungha kami ih pakha thung hoiah tacawt loknawk loe tahmenhaih to oh, toe kamthu loe angmah ih pahni mah paaeh.
13 The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.
Anih pakha hoi tacawt tangsuek lok loe amthuhaih hoiah amtong, anih ih lokpaeh boenghaih loe kasae amthuhaih ah oh.
14 A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Kamthu loe lok pung, kami mah angzo han koi hmuen to thui thai ai; anih hmabang ah timaw om tih, tiah mi mah maw thui thai tih?
15 The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not bow to go to the city.
Vangpui thungah caehhaih loklam to panoek ai baktih toengah, kamthu toksakhaih mah kaminawk angphosak boih.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning.
Nawkta ukkung siangpahrang ohhaih prae, khawnthaw ah buh raenghhaih poih sah angraengnawk ohhaih prae, nang loe khosak bing!
17 Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.
Khingya han koi kaom imthung takoh hoiah tapen siangpahrang ohhaih prae, mu kanae hmoek ai, tha oh hanah atue phak naah buh kacaa angraengnawk ohhaih prae, nang loe tahamhoih.
18 By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.
Thasethaih mah im to hmawnsak; bantha set pongah im loe kho longh.
19 For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.
Pahnuih hanah ni poih to sak, mu mah kami poeknawmsak; toe phoisa mah hmuenmae to qan thaih boih.
20 Detract not the king, no not in thy thought; and speak not evil of the rich man in thy private chamber: because even the birds of the air will carry thy voice, and he that hath wings will tell what thou hast said.
Siangpahrang to palung thung hoiah doeh pasoih hmah; angraengnawk doeh na iihhaih ahmuen hoiah pasoih hmah; van ih tavaa mah na lok to sin ueloe, pakhraeh kaom tavaa mah thui pae moeng tih.
