Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Devit capa, phungdeikung Jerusalem siangpahrang ni a dei e lawk teh,
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all [is] vanity.
Ahrawnghrang doeh, ahrawnghrang doeh. Bangpueng hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Kanî rahim vah tami ni a tawksak e pueng bang hawinae maw kaawm.
4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
Se buet touh aloum teh se alouke bout a tâco. Hatei, talai teh a kangning.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
Kanî a tâco teh bout a khup. Hatei, a tâconae koehoi bout bout a tâco.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
Kahlî haiyah a kâheinae koe lah bout bout a kâhei.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea [is] not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Tuipuinaw a lawng teh talîpui dawk koung a kâcu eiteh kawi hoeh. Talîpui teh a lawngnae koelah bout bout a ban.
8 All things [are] full of labour; man cannot utter [it: ] the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Bangpueng hai tami ni dei thai hoeh totouh patangnae a kâhmo. Mit ni a khet eiteh hmawt thai hoeh. Hnâ ni a thai eiteh boum thai hoeh.
9 The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.
Hno kaawm tangcoung e hai bout kaawm hane hoi a kâvan. Atu sak e hai bout sak hane hoi a kâvan. Kanî rahim vah hno katha awm hoeh.
10 Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Khenhaw! hno katha buet tabang ao maw awm hoeh, ayan vah yo kaawm tangcoung e doeh.
11 [There is] no remembrance of former [things; ] neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
Ayan kaawm boi e hnonaw ouk pahnim thai awh. Ka tho hane naw hai ka tho hane naw ni bout a pahnim awh han.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai, phungdeikung, Jerusalem khopui dawk Isarel siangpahrang lah ka o nah,
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Kanî rahim vah sakyoe e pueng thoumthainae lahoi pakhingpalang lungthin ka tawng. Cathut ni taminaw koe khoram sak nahanelah a patangpalai sak.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Kanî rahim e hnosak e pueng ka hmu toe. Bangpueng ahrawnghrang doeh. Kahlî ka man e hoi doeh a kâvan.
15 [That which is] crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ka longkawi e teh palan thai hoeh. Kamko e hno teh touk mahoeh.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Kama hoi kama ka kâdei e teh, kai teh Jerusalem kauknaw pueng hlakvah ka talue, ka lung a ang, ka lungthin ni lungangnae hah alawkpui lah a kamtu.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Lungangnae hoi pathunae, polainae pakhingpalang ka tawn. Hot naw haiyah, kahlî man e patetlah doeh ao.
18 For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Lungangnae apap nah, lungreithainae a pap. Thoumthainae apapnae koe lungmathoenae hoe a pap.
