< Ecclesiastes 10 >

1 Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
Dueknah pilyang loh thungnom situi thaa te a rhim sak bangla vel lunghmangnah vik te cueihnah lakah khaw, thangpomnah lakah khaw nul.
2 The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah a bantang la mael tih aka ang kah lungbuei tah a banvoei la mael.
3 Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
Longpuei ah pataeng lunghmang tah lunghmang bangla a lungbuei a talh hil pongpa tih a lunghmang te a cungkuem taengah a thui.
4 If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
Aka taemrhai kah mueihla loh nang taengah pai mai cakhaw na hmuen phawt boeh. Hoeihnah long ni tholhnah a len khaw a duem sak.
5 I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
Boei mikhmuh lamloh tohtamaeh la aka thoeng ka hmuh te khomik hmuiah a thae la om.
6 when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
Pavai te hmuensang la muep a khueh vaengah hlanglen tah mathoe la kho a sak.
7 I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
Marhang dongkah sal rhoek ka hmuh vaengah mangpa rhoek tah diklai ah sal bangla pongpa uh.
8 If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
Rhom aka too khaw a khuila cungku tih vongtung aka phae khaw rhul loh amah a tuk.
9 If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
Lungto aka puen khaw amah ah a kothae tih thing aka phaek khaw te nen te tohngah saeh.
10 If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
Thi te duu tih a ha te a haat pawt atah thadueng khaw vak. Tedae rhoeikhangnah tah cueihnah long ni a khui sak.
11 If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
Calthai a om pawt ah rhul loh a tuk atah cal kung ham rhoeikhangnah moenih.
12 Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
Hlang cueih ka dongkah ol tah mikdaithen om tih aka ang kah hmuilai long tah amah a dolh.
13 Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
A ka dongkah ol tongnah te lunghmangnah la om tih a ka dongkah ol bawtnah khaw boethae angvawknah la om.
14 Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
Lunghmang tah ol pung tih metla a om khaw hlang loh ming pawh. A hnuk ah metla a om ham khaw a taengah ulong a thui pah voel?
15 Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
Hlang ang kah thakthaenah loh amah a kohnue sak tih khopuei la caeh ham khaw ming pawh.
16 You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
Na manghai khaw camoe tih na mangpa rhoek loh mincang ah nah a caak uh te, khohmuen nang ngawn tah khomap.
17 You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
Na manghai te hlangcoelh capa van tih, na mangpa rhoek long khaw rhuihahnah ham pawt tih thayung thamal hamla a tue vaengah aka ca khohmuen nang tah na yoethen.
18 Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
Ngaknah lamloh tul pae hmawn tih kut poemnah lamloh im cae.
19 A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
Nueihbu ham buh a khueh tih misurtui loh hingnah ko a hoe sak. Tedae tangka loh a cungkuem te a doo.
20 Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
Na cangnah nen khaw manghai te tap boeh. Imkhui kah na thingkong dongah khaw hlanglen te tap boeh. Vaan kah vaa loh ol te khuen vetih ol te a phae loh a kungmah taengah thui ve.

< Ecclesiastes 10 >