Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
Devit capa, phungdeikung Jerusalem siangpahrang ni a dei e lawk teh,
2 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.
Ahrawnghrang doeh, ahrawnghrang doeh. Bangpueng hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
3 What profit hath a man of all his toil which he toil-eth 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 endureth for ever.
Se buet touh aloum teh se alouke bout a tâco. Hatei, talai teh a kangning.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and striving to reach his place he riseth again there.
Kanî a tâco teh bout a khup. Hatei, a tâconae koehoi bout bout a tâco.
6 Going toward the south, and turning round toward the north, the wind moveth round about continually; and around its circles doth the wind return again.
Kahlî haiyah a kâheinae koe lah bout bout a kâhei.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is never full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither will they continue to go.
Tuipuinaw a lawng teh talîpui dawk koung a kâcu eiteh kawi hoeh. Talîpui teh a lawngnae koelah bout bout a ban.
8 All things weary themselves [constantly]; man can not utter them: the eye is never 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 That which hath been, is the same which will be; and that which hath been done, is the same which will be done; and there is nothing new 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 If there be any thing whereof it is said, See, this is new: It hath already been in olden times which were before us.
Khenhaw! hno katha buet tabang ao maw awm hoeh, ayan vah yo kaawm tangcoung e doeh.
11 [Only] there is no recollection of former [generations]; and also of the later ones, that are to be—of these [likewise] there will be no recollection with those that will be still later.
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 Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai, phungdeikung, Jerusalem khopui dawk Isarel siangpahrang lah ka o nah,
13 And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves 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 saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Kanî rahim e hnosak e pueng ka hmu toe. Bangpueng ahrawnghrang doeh. Kahlî ka man e hoi doeh a kâvan.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.
Ka longkawi e teh palan thai hoeh. Kamko e hno teh touk mahoeh.
16 I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much 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 directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; [but] I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.
Lungangnae hoi pathunae, polainae pakhingpalang ka tawn. Hot naw haiyah, kahlî man e patetlah doeh ao.
18 For where there is much wisdom there is much vexation: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain.
Lungangnae apap nah, lungreithainae a pap. Thoumthainae apapnae koe lungmathoenae hoe a pap.
