Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
Minhawinae teh hmuitui satui hlak ahawi. Duenae hnin hai khenae hnin hlak bet ahawi.
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.
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 Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
Panui e hlakvah lungmathoe e bet ahawi. Bangkongtetpawiteh, lungmathoenae ni lungthin bet ahawi sak.
4 Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
Lungkaangnaw e lungthin teh ro im vah ao. Tamipathunaw e lungthin teh pawi im vah ao.
5 It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
Tamipathunaw e la sak lawk thai hlakvah, lungkaangnaw e tounnae lawk tarawi e bet ahawi.
6 The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
Bangkongtetpawiteh, tamipathunaw e panuinae teh hlaam rahim vah pâkhing ka kang e lawk hoi a kâvan. Hot naw hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
7 Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
Atangcalah, rektapnae ni a lungkaangnaw a pathu sak. Tadawngnae ni lungthin a rawk sak.
8 Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
Apoutnae teh kamtawngnae hlak ahawi, a lungkasaw e tami teh a lungkalen e tami hlakvah ahawi.
9 Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
Lungkhuek han totouh na lungduem sak hanh. Lungkhueknae teh kapathunaw e lungthung vah hmuen ouk a la.
10 Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
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 good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
Lungangnae teh râw patetlah ahawi. Kanî ka hmawt e naw koe hnokahawi a sak.
12 For wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
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 Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
Cathut ni hno a sak e hah pouk haw, a longkawi sak e teh apinimaw a palan thai han.
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.
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 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.
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 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?
Hloi lan hanh, hloi lungang hanh. Bangkongmaw nama e hawinae hah raphoe hanelah na ngai.
17 On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why die before your time?
Hloi mathout hanh, hloi pathu hanh. Bangkongmaw atueng a pha hoehnahlan due hane na ngai.
18 You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
Hete lawk heh pâkuem hanelah ahawi. Thada hanh, Cathut ka taket e tami teh hno pueng dawk hoi a hlout han.
19 Wisdom gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
Khopui thung kaawm e ukkung hra touh hlak, tami lungkaang buet touh e lungangnae a tha aohnawn.
20 There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
Yon nuen laipalah hnokahawi ka sak e tami a nuen kahawi e talai van buet touh hai awm hoeh.
21 Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
Ayâ ni a dei e pueng hah pâkuem hanh. Hottelah na tetpawiteh, na san e thoebo lawk na thai han.
22 for you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
Nama roeroe ni atuhoitu, ayânaw thoe na bo e hah na lung hoi na panue.
23 I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
Hetnaw pueng heh, kai ni lungangnae hoi ka noumcai toe. Ka lungang han toe ka ti navah, lungangnae hoi hoe ka kâhla.
24 Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
Kahlat ni teh kadung poung e hno hah apinimaw a tawng vaiteh a hmu thai han.
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.
Lungangnae hoi akongnaw hah ka tawng teh panue hanelah thoseh, povangtanae hoi pathunae panue nahanelah thoseh, ka lung ni a kâyawm toe.
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.
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 This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
Phungdeikung ti e teh kai ni ka tawng teh ka hmu hoeh rae hah hmu hanelah buet touh hnukkhu buet touh a pâphue.
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.”
Tongpa thong touh thung dawk buet touh ka hmu toe. Napui thong touh thung buet touh boehai ka hmawt hoeh.
29 But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.
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.
