Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, 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 Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take 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 grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
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 dullards, in the house of mirth.
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah nguekcoinah im ah dae aka ang kah lungbuei tah kohoenah im ah om.
5 Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
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 dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
Am lae kah hling ol bangla aka ang kah nueihbu khaw om. Te dongah he khaw a honghi ni.
7 For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
Hnaemtaeknah loh hlangcueih a yan sak tih kutdoe loh lungbuei a poo sak.
8 Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
Ol bawtnah he a tongnah lakah then. Aka ueh kah mueihla he aka oek kah mueihla lakah then.
9 Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
Huesak hamla na mueihla neh let sak boeh. Konoinah he aka ang kah rhang dongah ni a. kol.
10 Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou 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 Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as see the sun.
Cueihnah tah rho la then tih khomik aka hmu ham khaw hoeikhang.
12 For, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
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 the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
Pathen kah bibi te hmu lah. Amah loh a khun sak te dueng hamla aka noeng te unim?
14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
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 ahmu pawt eh.
15 Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing 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 Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
Aka dueng koek la om boel lamtah hoeikhangnah aih ham khaw cueih boeh. Balae tih namah na phae uh?
17 Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst 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 well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall 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, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
Cueihnah long tah aka cueih te khopuei kah aka om boei parha lakah khaw a tanglue sak.
20 For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Diklai hman ah hnothen a saii tih aka tholh pawh hlang dueng a om moenih.
21 Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling 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 truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled 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, that, was far from me.
He boeih he cueihnah neh ka noemcai tih, “Ka cueih eh?,” ka ti dae kai lamloh lakhla laklo.
24 Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, 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 Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be madness.
Kamah neh ka lungbuei khaw, uepnah koikah halangnah neh anglatnah, lunghmangnah te ming ham neh yaam hamla, cueihnah neh poeknah tlap hamla ka maelh.
26 I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured 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 aeng lamloh loeih suidae aka tholh tah anih loh a tuuk ni.
27 See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
So lah he, thuituenkung loh a thui bangla poeknah hmuh hamla pakhat soah pakhat ka phoel.
28 what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.
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 Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many 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.
