Ecclesiastes 2
1 Come, then, I said in my heart, I will have a taste of joy, and thou shalt see what is good; but, behold, this also was vanity.
Kai tah ka lungbuei ah, “Cet laeh lamtah, nang te kohoenah neh kan noem eh. Te dongah hnothen te a hmuh dae te khaw a honghi he.
2 Of laughter I said, It maketh one mad: and of joy, What doth this do?
Nueihbu te ka yan tih kohoenah neh, 'Banim a saii he,” ka ti.
3 I resolved in my heart to indulge my body with wine, while my heart guideth itself with wisdom; and to lay fast hold on folly, till I might see what it is that is good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heavens during the number of the days of their life.
Ka lungbuei khuikah tah ka saa he misurtui neh dangrhoek ham, ka lungbuei he cueihnah neh hmaithawn ham, a hingnah khohnin tarhing la vaan hmuikah a saii uh te, hlang ca rhoek ham mebang a then khaw ka hmuh hil, lunghmangnah te tuuk hamla ka yaam.
4 I made great works: I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;
Ka bibi ka rhoeng sak tih kamah ham im ka sak, kamah hamla misur ka phung.
5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted therein trees of all kinds of fruit;
Kamah hamla dum neh khotu ka tawn tih a khuiah thing thaih boeih ka tue.
6 I made myself pools of water, to water therewith the forest overgrown with trees;
Duup thing aka poe te tui suep hamla kamah loh tuibuem ka saii.
7 I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and I had likewise those born in my house; I had also great possessions of cattle and flocks above all that had been before me in Jerusalem.
salpa neh salnu khaw ka lai tih im kah cacah khaw ka taengah om. Saelhung saelrhoi neh boiva khaw kamah taengah muep om tih, ka mikhmuh ah Jerusalem kah aka om boeih lakah yet.
8 I gathered unto myself also silver and gold, and the choice treasures of kings and of the provinces: I procured myself male singers and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, wagons and chariots.
Kamah hamla cak neh sui khaw, manghai lungthen neh paeng ka calui coeng. Kamah ham aka hlai, aka hlai rhoek khaw, hlang capa kah omthenbawnnah la rhoiding khaw ka khueh.
9 So was I great, and obtained more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Jerusalem ah ka rhoeng tih ka mikhmuh kah aka om boeih lakah ka lawn. Kai cueihnah khaw ka khuiah cak.
10 And whatsoever my eyes desired I refused them not; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart was rejoiced with all my toil, and this was my portion of all my toil.
Ka mik loh a hoe boeih tah ka hloh moenih. Ka lungbuei te kohoenah cungkuem lamloh ka hloh moenih. Ka thakthaenah cungkuem khuiah pataeng ka lungbuei a kohoe. He ni ka thakthaenah cungkuem dongah kai kah khoyo la a om.
11 But when I turned myself [to look] on all my works that my hands had wrought, and on the toil that I had toiled to accomplish: then, behold, all was vanity and a torture of the spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Ka kut loh a saii bangla ka bibi boeih khaw, thakthaenah te khaw ka hoihaeng coeng. Te te saii hamla ka thakthae akhaw a honghi neh khohli doinah boeih ni he. Te dongah khomik hmuikah he rhoeikhangnah moenih.
12 And then I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [only] that which [others] have done already.
Cueihnah hmuh hamla anglatnah neh lunghmangnah khaw ka mael thil. Oepsoeh la a saii pah phoeiah manghai hnukah aka pawk te mebang hlang nim?
13 But I saw indeed that wisdom hath the advantage over folly, as great as the advantage of light over darkness.
Vangnah he hmaisuep lakah rhoeikhangnah a om bangla cueihnah he lunghmangnah lakah rhoeikhangnah om tila ka hmuh.
14 The wise man hath his eyes in his head, while the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself perceived then also that one occurrence will befall all of them.
Hlang cueih kah a mik tah a lu khuiah om dae aka ang tah hmaisuep ah pongpa. Te dongah amih boeih te a hmatoeng pakhat loh a mah tila ka ming van.
15 Then said I in my heart, The same that befalleth the fool will also befall even me: and why have I then been wiser? Then spoke I in my heart, that this is also vanity.
Ka lungbuei khuiah tah, “Kai khaw aka ang kah hmatoeng bangla kamah m'mah. Te dongah metlam ka cueih tih ka hoeikhang?” ka ti. Te vaengah ka lungbuei nen tah, “He khaw a honghi coeng ni,” ka ti.
16 For there is no recollection of the wise any more than of the fool for ever: seeing that which hath long ago been will, in the days that are coming, all be forgotten. And how doth the wise die equally with the fool!
Aka ang bangla aka cueih ham khaw kumhal duela poekkoepnah om mahpawh. Oepsoeh la khohnin aka pai boeih dongah a hnilh pawn ni. Aka cueih khaw aka ang bangla duek aya?
17 Therefore I hated life; because I felt displeased with the work that is wrought under the sun; for all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Te dongah hingnah te ka hmuhuet coeng. Khomik hmuikah a saii bitat he kai ham tah thae coeng. A cungkuem he a honghi neh khohli doinah mai ni.
18 Yea, I hated also all my toil with which I had toiled under the sun; because I should have to leave it unto the man that will be after me.
Ka thakthaenah boeih he ka hmuhuet coeng. Khomik hmuikah thakthaekung la ka om. Te te ka hnukah aka om hlang ham ni ka khueh eh.
19 And who knoweth, whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have full sway over all my toil wherein I have toiled, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. Also this is vanity.
Ulong a ming huek? Lunghmang khaw hlangcueih om nim? Tedae ka thakthaenah boeih te a taemrhai hae ni. Te nen te ka thakthae tih te nen te ka cueih dae khomik hmuiah tah te khaw a honghi mai ni.
20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to give up thinking of all the toil wherewith I had toiled under the sun.
Te dongah ka lungbuei he talsae la ka mael puei. Khomik hmuiah thakthaenah cungkuem neh ka thakthae.
21 For there is many a man whose toil is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with energy; yet to a man that hath not toiled therefore must he give it as his portion. Also this is vanity and a great evil.
Hlang bangla cueihnah neh, mingnah neh, thoemthainah neh thakthaenah la om. Tedae amah ham aka thakthae pawt hlang te khaw a khoyo a paek. He khaw a honghi neh thae tangkik mai.
22 For what doth a man obtain of all his toil, and of the torture of his heart, wherewith he toileth under the sun?
A thakthaenah cungkuem dong neh a lungbuei kah kohnek dongah khaw hlang hamla balae aka om? Anih te khomik hmuikah thakthaekung la om.
23 For all his days are full of pains, and vexation is [mingled with] his employment: yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. Also this is vanity.
A khohnin te nganboh, a bibi khaw konoinah boeih ni. Khoyin ah pataeng a lungbuei ip pawh. He khaw amah la a honghi ni.
24 It is not a good thing [inherent] in man that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy happiness for his toil. Also this have I seen, that it cometh out of the hand of God.
A caak tih a ok bangla hlang ham hnothen a om moenih. Tedae a hinglu a hmuh te ni a thakthaenah khui lamloh hnothen la a om. He khaw Pathen kut lamkah ni tila ka hmuh.
25 For who can well eat, or who can enjoy earthly things more than I?
Kai lamkah rhamvoel ah unim aka ca thai tih unim aka tawn bal?
26 For to a man who is good in his presence [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth employment, to gather up and to bring together, that he may give it to him that is good before God. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Amah mikhmuh kah aka then hlang te tah cueihnah, mingnah neh kohoenah khaw a paek. Tedae aka tholh te tah Pathen mikhmuh kah aka then taengah paek hamla, coi hamla, calui hamla bibi a paek. He khaw a honghi neh khohli doinah mai ni.
