Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Devit capa, phungdeikung Jerusalem siangpahrang ni a dei e lawk teh,
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Ahrawnghrang doeh, ahrawnghrang doeh. Bangpueng hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?
Kanî rahim vah tami ni a tawksak e pueng bang hawinae maw kaawm.
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth is standing for all time.
Se buet touh aloum teh se alouke bout a tâco. Hatei, talai teh a kangning.
5 Also, the sun has risen, and the sun has gone in, and to its place panting it is rising there.
Kanî a tâco teh bout a khup. Hatei, a tâconae koehoi bout bout a tâco.
6 Going to the south, and turning around to the north, turning around, turning around, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind has returned.
Kahlî haiyah a kâheinae koe lah bout bout a kâhei.
7 All the streams are going to the sea, and the sea is not full; to a place to where the streams are going, there they are turning back 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 these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor is the ear filled from 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 What [is] that which has been? It [is] that which is, and what [is] that which has been done? It [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely 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 There is a thing of which [one] says: “See this, it [is] new!” Already it has been in the ages that were before us!
Khenhaw! hno katha buet tabang ao maw awm hoeh, ayan vah yo kaawm tangcoung e doeh.
11 There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
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, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai, phungdeikung, Jerusalem khopui dawk Isarel siangpahrang lah ka o nah,
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
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 have been done under the sun, and behold, the whole [is] vanity and distress of spirit!
Kanî rahim e hnosak e pueng ka hmu toe. Bangpueng ahrawnghrang doeh. Kahlî ka man e hoi doeh a kâvan.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
Ka longkawi e teh palan thai hoeh. Kamko e hno teh touk mahoeh.
16 I spoke with my heart, saying, “I, behold, have magnified and added wisdom above everyone who has been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart has seen wisdom and knowledge abundantly.
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 give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] distress of spirit;
Lungangnae hoi pathunae, polainae pakhingpalang ka tawn. Hot naw haiyah, kahlî man e patetlah doeh ao.
18 for in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who adds knowledge adds pain.”
Lungangnae apap nah, lungreithainae a pap. Thoumthainae apapnae koe lungmathoenae hoe a pap.
