Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you 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 foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”
Nueihbu te ka yan tih kohoenah neh, ‘Banim a saii he,” ka ti.
3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
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 myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
Ka bibi ka rhoeng sak tih kamah ham im ka sak, kamah hamla misur ka phung.
5 I made myself 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 myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.
Duup thing aka poe te tui suep hamla kamah loh tuibuem ka saii.
7 I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who 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 also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.
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 who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Jerusalem ah ka rhoeng tih ka mikhmuh kah aka om boeih lakah ka lawn. Kai cueihnah khaw ka khuiah cak.
10 Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold 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 at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labour that I had laboured to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing 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 I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
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 excels folly, as far as light excels 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 walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens 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 I said in my heart, “As it happens 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 is 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 memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like 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 worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing 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 I hated all my labour in which I laboured under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes 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 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labour in which I have laboured, and in which I have shown myself wise 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 began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour in which 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, with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not laboured for it. 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 does a man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, in which he labours 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 sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes 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 who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing 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.
