Ecclesiastes 10
1 [A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
Dueknah pilyang loh thungnom situi thaa te a rhim sak bangla vel lunghmangnah vik te cueihnah lakah khaw, thangpomnah lakah khaw nul.
2 If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah a bantang la mael tih aka ang kah lungbuei tah a banvoei la mael.
3 Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
Longpuei ah pataeng lunghmang tah lunghmang bangla a lungbuei a talh hil pongpa tih a lunghmang te a cungkuem taengah a thui.
4 Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
Aka taemrhai kah mueihla loh nang taengah pai mai cakhaw na hmuen phawt boeh. Hoeihnah long ni tholhnah a len khaw a duem sak.
5 There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
Boei mikhmuh lamloh tohtamaeh la aka thoeng ka hmuh te khomik hmuiah a thae la om.
6 They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
Pavai te hmuensang la muep a khueh vaengah hlanglen tah mathoe la kho a sak.
7 They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
Marhang dongkah sal rhoek ka hmuh vaengah mangpa rhoek tah diklai ah sal bangla pongpa uh.
8 [It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
Rhom aka too khaw a khuila cungku tih vongtung aka phae khaw rhul loh amah a tuk.
9 If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
Lungto aka puen khaw amah ah a kothae tih thing aka phaek khaw te nen te tohngah saeh.
10 If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
Thi te duu tih a ha te a haat pawt atah thadueng khaw vak. Tedae rhoeikhangnah tah cueihnah long ni a khui sak.
11 If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
Calthai a om pawt ah rhul loh a tuk atah cal kung ham rhoeikhangnah moenih.
12 Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
Hlang cueih ka dongkah ol tah mikdaithen om tih aka ang kah hmuilai long tah amah a dolh.
13 When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
A ka dongkah ol tongnah te lunghmangnah la om tih a ka dongkah ol bawtnah khaw boethae angvawknah la om.
14 They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
Lunghmang tah ol pung tih metla a om khaw hlang loh ming pawh. A hnuk ah metla a om ham khaw a taengah ulong a thui pah voel?
15 Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
Hlang ang kah thakthaenah loh amah a kohnue sak tih khopuei la caeh ham khaw ming pawh.
16 Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
Na manghai khaw camoe tih na mangpa rhoek loh mincang ah nah a caak uh te, khohmuen nang ngawn tah khomap.
17 [But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
Na manghai te hlangcoelh capa van tih, na mangpa rhoek long khaw rhuihahnah ham pawt tih thayung thamal hamla a tue vaengah aka ca khohmuen nang tah na yoethen.
18 Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
Ngaknah lamloh tul pae hmawn tih kut poemnah lamloh im cae.
19 Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
Nueihbu ham buh a khueh tih misurtui loh hingnah ko a hoe sak. Tedae tangka loh a cungkuem te a doo.
20 Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
Na cangnah nen khaw manghai te tap boeh. Imkhui kah na thingkong dongah khaw hlanglen te tap boeh. Vaan kah vaa loh ol te khuen vetih ol te a phae loh a kungmah taengah thui ve.
