< Ecclesiastes 2 >
1 I SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, 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 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Nueihbu te ka yan tih kohoenah neh, 'Banim a saii he,” ka ti.
3 I searched in mine heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, mine heart yet guiding [me] with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven all 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 me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
Ka bibi ka rhoeng sak tih kamah ham im ka sak, kamah hamla misur ka phung.
5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit:
Kamah hamla dum neh khotu ka tawn tih a khuiah thing thaih boeih ka tue.
6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared:
Duup thing aka poe te tui suep hamla kamah loh tuibuem ka saii.
7 I bought menservants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were 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 me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, concubines very many.
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 I was great, and increased more than all that were 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 mine eyes desired I kept not from them: I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
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 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, 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 I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
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 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Vangnah he hmaisuep lakah rhoeikhangnah a om bangla cueihnah he lunghmangnah lakah rhoeikhangnah om tila ka hmuh.
14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
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, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also was 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 of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been already forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as 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 So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me: for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
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 And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun: seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall 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 shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed wisdom under the sun. This also 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 despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
Te dongah ka lungbuei he talsae la ka mael puei. Khomik hmuiah thakthaenah cungkuem neh ka thakthae.
21 For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also 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 hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth 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 [but] sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also 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 There is nothing better for a man [than] that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it is from 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 eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
Kai lamkah rhamvoel ah unim aka ca thai tih unim aka tawn bal?
26 For to the man that pleaseth him [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
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.