Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's birth.
A ming te tah situi then lakah ah then tih dueknah hnin he a cun khohnin lakah then.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
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 Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Konoinah he nueihbu lakah then. Maelhmai thaenah long ni lungbuei a voelphoeng sak.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of joy.
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah nguekcoinah im ah dae aka ang kah lungbuei tah kohoenah im ah om.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
Aka cueih kah tluungnah hnatun he tah aka ang laa aka hnatun hlang lakah then.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
Am lae kah hling ol bangla aka ang kah nueihbu khaw om. Te dongah he khaw a honghi ni.
7 For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
Hnaemtaeknah loh hlangcueih a yan sak tih kutdoe loh lungbuei a poo sak.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
Ol bawtnah he a tongnah lakah then. Aka ueh kah mueihla he aka oek kah mueihla lakah then.
9 Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.
Huesak hamla na mueihla neh let sak boeh. Konoinah he aka ang kah rhang dongah ni a kol.
10 Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
“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 better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun;
Cueihnah tah rho la then tih khomik aka hmu ham khaw hoeikhang.
12 For under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
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 Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
Pathen kah bibi te hmu lah. Amah loh a khun sak te dueng hamla aka noeng te unim?
14 On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure him.
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 a hmu pawt eh.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
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 Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
Aka dueng koek la om boel lamtah hoeikhangnah aih ham khaw cueih boeh. Balae tih namah na phae uh?
17 Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy time?
Muep poehlip boel lamtah lunghmang la om boeh. Balae tih namah tue pawt vaengah na duek eh?
18 It is good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
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 giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
Cueihnah long tah aka cueih te khopuei kah aka om boei parha lakah khaw a tanglue sak.
20 For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
Diklai hman ah hnothen a saii tih aka tholh pawh hlang dueng a om moenih.
21 Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
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 oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—
Namah loh hlang tloe na tap te na lungbuei loh a voei a yet khaw a ming.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
He boeih he cueihnah neh ka noemcai tih, “Ka cueih eh,” ka ti dae kai lamloh lakhla laklo.
24 Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?
Te tla a om te khaw hla coeng tih a dung lakah dung coeng. Te te aka hmu te unim?
25 Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
Kamah neh ka lungbuei khaw, uepnah koi kah halangnah neh anglatnah, lunghmangnah te ming ham neh yaam hamla, cueihnah neh poeknah tlap hamla ka maelh.
26 And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her.
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 taeng lamloh loeih suidae aka tholh tah anih loh a tuuk ni.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
So lah he, thuituenkung loh a thui bangla poeknah hmuh hamla pakhat soah pakhat ka phoel.
28 What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
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 Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
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.
