Ecclesiastes 1
1 These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem manghai David capa kah thuituenkung ol.
2 The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
A honghi, a honghi ni. Thuituenkung loh, “A honghi, a honghi, a honghi boeih ni,” a ti.
3 What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
Khohmik hmuiah a thakthae bangla a thakthaenah cungkuem lamloh hlang taengah balae a rhoeikhangnah.
4 One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
Thawnpuei loh cet tih cadil thoeng coeng dae diklai he kumhal duela a pai moenih.
5 The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
Khomik loh thoeng tih khomik he kun bal. Te phoeiah amah hmuen te a hloem pahoi tiih thoeng.
6 The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
Tuithim la cet tih tlangpuei la aka mael khohli he a tinghil, a tinghil doela cet. Te phoeiah khohli he a hlaep la mael.
7 All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. To the place where the rivers go, there they go again.
Soklong boeih khaw tuitunli la pawk. Tedae tuitunli tah hah tlaih pawh. Soklong rhoek khaw a long nah hmuen la mael tih cet.
8 Everything becomes wearisome, and no one can explain it. The eye is not satisfied by what it sees, nor is the ear fulfilled by what it hears.
Olka boeih he bonghnaek. Hlang loh a thui hamla a noeng moenih. Mik loh a hmuh te hah pawt tih hna a yaak te cung pawh.
9 Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.
Mebang khaw aka om tangtae bangla om bal vetih, mebang khaw a saii tangtae bangla a saii bal ni. Te dongah kah khomik hmuikah he a thai boeih moenih.
10 Is there anything about which it may be said, 'Look, this is new'? Whatever exists has already existed for a long time, during ages which came long before us.
“A thai he hmu lah, he tah khosuen lamloh om oepsoeh coeng tih mamih hlan lamloh om,’ a ti te ol om nim?
11 No one seems to remember the things that happened in ancient times, and the things that happened much later and that will happen in the future will not likely be remembered either.”
Lamhma kah neh hmailong kah khaw poekkoepnah om pawh. Aka om ham te khaw hmailong kah aka om taengah poekkoepnah om mahpawh.
12 I am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai tah thuituenkung neh Jerusalem kah Israel soah manghai la ka om.
13 I applied my mind to study and to search out by wisdom everything that is done under heaven. That search is a burdensome task that God has given to the children of mankind to be busy with.
Vaan hmui kah a saii boeih te cueihnah neh dawtlet ham khaw, yaam ham khaw ka lungbuei ka paek. Hlang capa rhoek te amah phaep uh saeh tila Pathen loh yoethae bibi a khueh pah.
14 I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
Khomik hmui kah a saii bitat boeih te ka hmuh. Te dongah a cungkuem he a honghi neh khohli doinah ni ne.
15 The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
Aka khun he dueng hamla coeng pawt tih vitvawtnah khaw tae hamla coeng pawh.
16 I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.”
Kamah tah ka lungbuei ah ka cal tih, “Ka pantai tih Jerusalem ah khaw ka mikhmuh kah aka om boeih lakah cueihnah ka thap, ka lungbuei long khaw cueihnah neh mingnah muep a hmuh la he,” ka ti.
17 So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind.
Ka lungbuei he cueihnah ming ham neh anglatnah ming ham ka paek. Te dongah lunghmangnah he khaw khohli dongkah kohnek ni tila ka ming.
18 For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Cueihnah a cungkuem nen khaw konoinah cungkuem tih, mingnah a koei khaw nganboh ni a koei.
