Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Jerusalem manghai David capa kah thuituenkung ol.
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
A honghi, a honghi ni. Thuituenkung loh, “A honghi, a honghi, a honghi boeih ni,” a ti.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
Khohmik hmuiah a thakthae bangla a thakthaenah cungkuem lamloh hlang taengah balae a rhoeikhangnah.
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
Thawnpuei loh cet tih cadil thoeng coeng dae diklai he kumhal duela a pai moenih.
5 Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
Khomik loh thoeng tih khomik he kun bal. Te phoeiah amah hmuen te a hloem pahoi tiih thoeng.
6 Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned.
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 streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go.
Soklong boeih khaw tuitunli la pawk. Tedae tuitunli tah hah tlaih pawh. Soklong rhoek khaw a long nah hmuen la mael tih cet.
8 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.
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 What [is] that which hath been? it [is] that which is, and what [is] that which hath been done? it [is] that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing 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 There is a thing of which [one] saith: 'See this, it [is] new!' already it hath been in the ages that were 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 There is not a remembrance of former [generations]; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
Lamhma kah neh hmailong kah khaw poekkoepnah om pawh. Aka om ham te khaw hmailong kah aka om taengah poekkoepnah om mahpawh.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai tah thuituenkung neh Jerusalem kah Israel soah manghai la ka om.
13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It [is] a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
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 works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
Khomik hmui kah a saii bitat boeih te ka hmuh. Te dongah a cungkuem he a honghi neh khohli doinah ni ne.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
Aka khun he dueng hamla coeng pawt tih vitvawtnah khaw tae hamla coeng pawh.
16 I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly 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 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
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 abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
Cueihnah a cungkuem nen khaw konoinah cungkuem tih, mingnah a koei khaw nganboh ni a koei.
