Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it [is] 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 Of laughter I said, 'Foolish!' and of mirth, 'What [is] this it is doing?'
Nueihbu te ka yan tih kohoenah neh, 'Banim a saii he,” ka ti.
3 I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where [is] this — the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of 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 great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.
Ka bibi ka rhoeng sak tih kamah ham im ka sak, kamah hamla misur ka phung.
5 I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
Kamah hamla dum neh khotu ka tawn tih a khuiah thing thaih boeih ka tue.
6 I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
Duup thing aka poe te tui suep hamla kamah loh tuibuem ka saii.
7 I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance — herd and flock — above all who had been 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 gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man — a wife and wives.
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 And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
Jerusalem ah ka rhoeng tih ka mikhmuh kah aka om boeih lakah ka lawn. Kai cueihnah khaw ka khuiah cak.
10 And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been 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 and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage 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 And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who cometh after the king? that which [is] already — they have done it!
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 And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
Vangnah he hmaisuep lakah rhoeikhangnah a om bangla cueihnah he lunghmangnah lakah rhoeikhangnah om tila ka hmuh.
14 The wise! — his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with 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 and I said in my heart, 'As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this [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 That there is no remembrance to the wise — with the fool — to the age, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with 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 And I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
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 And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is 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 And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely 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 And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at 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] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it — his portion! Even this [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 hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at 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 sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; 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 good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen 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 eateth and who hasteth out more than I?
Kai lamkah rhamvoel ah unim aka ca thai tih unim aka tawn bal?
26 For to a man who [is] good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
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.
