Ecclesiastes 1
1 These are the words of the Teacher, the descendant of David and king in Jerusalem.
Devit capa, phungdeikung Jerusalem siangpahrang ni a dei e lawk teh,
2 The Teacher says this. “Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes, leaving many questions.
Ahrawnghrang doeh, ahrawnghrang doeh. Bangpueng hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
3 What profit does mankind gain from all the work that they labor at under the sun?
Kanî rahim vah tami ni a tawksak e pueng bang hawinae maw kaawm.
4 One generation goes, and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
Se buet touh aloum teh se alouke bout a tâco. Hatei, talai teh a kangning.
5 The sun rises, and it goes down and hurries back to the place where it rises again.
Kanî a tâco teh bout a khup. Hatei, a tâconae koehoi bout bout a tâco.
6 The wind blows south and circles around to the north, always going around along its pathway and coming back again.
Kahlî haiyah a kâheinae koe lah bout bout a kâhei.
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.
Tuipuinaw a lawng teh talîpui dawk koung a kâcu eiteh kawi hoeh. Talîpui teh a lawngnae koelah bout bout a ban.
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.
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 Whatever has been is what will be, and whatever has been done is what will be done. There is nothing new 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 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.
Khenhaw! hno katha buet tabang ao maw awm hoeh, ayan vah yo kaawm tangcoung e doeh.
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.”
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 am the Teacher, and I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai, phungdeikung, Jerusalem khopui dawk Isarel siangpahrang lah ka o nah,
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.
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 deeds that are done under the sun, and look, they all amount to vapor and chasing the wind.
Kanî rahim e hnosak e pueng ka hmu toe. Bangpueng ahrawnghrang doeh. Kahlî ka man e hoi doeh a kâvan.
15 The twisted cannot be straightened! The missing cannot be counted!
Ka longkawi e teh palan thai hoeh. Kamko e hno teh touk mahoeh.
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.”
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 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.
Lungangnae hoi pathunae, polainae pakhingpalang ka tawn. Hot naw haiyah, kahlî man e patetlah doeh ao.
18 For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Lungangnae apap nah, lungreithainae a pap. Thoumthainae apapnae koe lungmathoenae hoe a pap.
