Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator while you are young, before days of trouble come and you grow old, saying, “I'm not enjoying life anymore.”
Na nawnae a hninnaw dawk na kasakkung pouk loe. Rucatnae a hninnaw a pha teh kai dawk a nawmnae awmhoeh toe telah na deinae kumnaw a pha hoehnahlan,
2 Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
Kanî hoi angnae, thapa hoi âsinaw a mawm hoehnahlan, khorak hnukkhu tâmainaw bout a tho hoehnahlan, Bawipa pouk loe.
3 Before the guards of the house tremble and the strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because there are only a few left, and the ones looking through the windows only see dimly,
Hote atueng dawk imkaringnaw a tâsue vaiteh, athakaawme taminaw a thayoun awh han. Cakang kaphawmnaw ayoun dawkvah, a kâhat awh han. Hlalangaw dawk hoi ka khen e taminaw, a mitmawm awh han.
4 and the doors to the street are shut. Before the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and you wake up early when the birds are singing, but you can hardly hear them.
Cakang phawm lawk rek a cai hoeh torei teh, lam teng e longkhanaw teh khan lah ao han. Tava lawk a thai torei teh amom a thaw awh han, la ka sak e tanglanaw abuemlah tha a tawn awh han.
5 Before you develop a fear of heights and worry about going out on the streets; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper crawls along, and desire fails, for everyone has to go to their eternal home as the mourners go up and down the street.
Taminaw ni hmuenrasang hoi lam dawk takikathonaw a taki awh han. Almond kung ni a pei han. Samtong teh amahoima a ri han. Bangkongtetpawiteh, tami teh yungyoe e im koe lah cei lahun lah o dawkvah, ka khui e taminaw ni lam dawk a kâhei awh han.
6 Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken; before the water jug is smashed at the spring, or the pulley is broken at the well.
Ngun dingyin a thouknae, suimanang a reknae tuiphuek koe tuium kâbawngnae, tui sawnnae rui thawknae, atueng ka phat han.
7 Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns to God who gave it.
Hatnae atueng dawk vaiphu teh a thonae talai koelah bout a ban vaiteh, muitha teh na kapoekung Cathut koe bout a ban han.
8 “Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
Ahrawnghrang doeh, hnopueng teh ahrawnghrang doeh telah phungdeikung ni a ti.
9 Not only was the Teacher a wise man, he also taught what he knew to others. He thought about many proverbs, studying them and arranging them.
Phungdeikung teh a lungang dawkvah, tamihunaw, lungang thoumthainae ouk a cangkhai. A pouklak e phungdeilawknaw a noumcai teh a thut.
10 The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
Phungdeikung ni thai kahawi e lawklung a tawng teh a thut e lawklung teh kathuem e lawk, lawkkatang doeh.
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods. Their collected sayings are like nails driven home, given by one shepherd.
Tami lungkaang e lawk teh sâw hoi thoseh, tukhoumkung kalen buet touh koe a hnawng teh tamihu hemnae sumtaboung hoi thoseh a kâvan.
12 In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
Hothloilah, ka capa hot patet e lawk lahoi na dei pouh e hah tarawi loe. Ca lahoi ka thun nakunghai baw thai mahoeh. Ca panki lai hawi khetnae ni na tawn sak.
13 To sum up now that everything has been discussed: Respect God by keeping his commandments, for that's what everyone should do.
Ahnoungpoung e lawk teh, Cathut taket nateh kâpoelawknaw hah tarawi haw. Hethateh, tami pueng e thaw lah ao.
14 God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
Cathut ni kahawi hno thoseh, kahawihoehe hno thoseh, hro e hnonaw pueng hoi hnocawngca lawk a ceng han.
