Ecclesiastes 1
1 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
Devit capa, phungdeikung Jerusalem siangpahrang ni a dei e lawk teh,
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole [is] vanity.
Ahrawnghrang doeh, ahrawnghrang doeh. Bangpueng hai ahrawnghrang doeh.
3 What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
Kanî rahim vah tami ni a tawksak e pueng bang hawinae maw kaawm.
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing.
Se buet touh aloum teh se alouke bout a tâco. Hatei, talai teh a kangning.
5 Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there.
Kanî a tâco teh bout a khup. Hatei, a tâconae koehoi bout bout a tâco.
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.
Kahlî haiyah a kâheinae koe lah bout bout a kâhei.
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.
Tuipuinaw a lawng teh talîpui dawk koung a kâcu eiteh kawi hoeh. Talîpui teh a lawngnae koelah bout bout a ban.
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.
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 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.
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 There is a thing of which [one] saith: 'See this, it [is] new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us!
Khenhaw! hno katha buet tabang ao maw awm hoeh, ayan vah yo kaawm tangcoung e doeh.
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.
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, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai, phungdeikung, Jerusalem khopui dawk Isarel siangpahrang lah ka o nah,
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.
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 works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
Kanî rahim e hnosak e pueng ka hmu toe. Bangpueng ahrawnghrang doeh. Kahlî ka man e hoi doeh a kâvan.
15 A crooked thing [one] is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered.
Ka longkawi e teh palan thai hoeh. Kamko e hno teh touk mahoeh.
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.
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 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;
Lungangnae hoi pathunae, polainae pakhingpalang ka tawn. Hot naw haiyah, kahlî man e patetlah doeh ao.
18 for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
Lungangnae apap nah, lungreithainae a pap. Thoumthainae apapnae koe lungmathoenae hoe a pap.
