Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
A ming te tah situi then lakah ah then tih dueknah hnin he a cun khohnin lakah then.
2 It's better to go to a funeral than to a party. In the end, everyone dies, and those who are still alive should think about it.
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 Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
Konoinah he nueihbu lakah then. Maelhmai thaenah long ni lungbuei a voelphoeng sak.
4 Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah nguekcoinah im ah dae aka ang kah lungbuei tah kohoenah im ah om.
5 It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
Aka cueih kah tluungnah hnatun he tah aka ang laa aka hnatun hlang lakah then.
6 The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
Am lae kah hling ol bangla aka ang kah nueihbu khaw om. Te dongah he khaw a honghi ni.
7 Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
Hnaemtaeknah loh hlangcueih a yan sak tih kutdoe loh lungbuei a poo sak.
8 Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
Ol bawtnah he a tongnah lakah then. Aka ueh kah mueihla he aka oek kah mueihla lakah then.
9 Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
Huesak hamla na mueihla neh let sak boeh. Konoinah he aka ang kah rhang dongah ni a. kol.
10 Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
“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 good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
Cueihnah tah rho la then tih khomik aka hmu ham khaw hoeikhang.
12 For wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
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 Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
Pathen kah bibi te hmu lah. Amah loh a khun sak te dueng hamla aka noeng te unim?
14 On a good day, be happy. When a bad day comes, stop and think. God made each day, so you don't know what will happen to you next.
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 Throughout my life I've seen so much that is hard to understand. Good people who die young despite doing what is right, and wicked people who live long evil lives.
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 Don't think you can make yourself right by a lot of religious observance, and don't pretend to be so wise. Do you want to destroy yourself?
Aka dueng koek la om boel lamtah hoeikhangnah aih ham khaw cueih boeh. Balae tih namah na phae uh?
17 On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why die before your time?
Muep poehlip boel lamtah lunghmang la om boeh. Balae tih namah tue pawt vaengah na duek eh?
18 You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
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 gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
Cueihnah long tah aka cueih te khopuei kah aka om boei parha lakah khaw a tanglue sak.
20 There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
Diklai hman ah hnothen a saii tih aka tholh pawh hlang dueng a om moenih.
21 Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
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 you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
Namah loh hlang tloe na tap te na lungbuei loh a voei a yet khaw a ming.
23 I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
He boeih he cueihnah neh ka noemcai tih, “Ka cueih eh?,” ka ti dae kai lamloh lakhla laklo.
24 Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
Te tla a om te khaw hla coeng tih a dung lakah dung coeng. Te te aka hmu te unim?
25 I turned my thoughts to discover, investigate, and to find out more about wisdom and what makes sense. I wanted to know more about how stupid evil really is, and how ridiculous it is to be a fool.
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 I discovered something more horrible than death: foolishness like a woman who tries to entrap you, who wants to use her mind and hands to catch you and tie you up. Those who follow God will not be caught, but sinners will fall into her trap.
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 This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
So lah he, thuituenkung loh a thui bangla poeknah hmuh hamla pakhat soah pakhat ka phoel.
28 Although I really searched, I didn't find what I was looking for. People say, “I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman.”
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 But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.
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.
