Patukkung 7

1 Hminhoihaih loe atho kana hmuihoih tui pongah hoih kue; duekhaih ni loe tapenhaih ni pongah hoih kue.

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.

2 Buhraenghaih im ah caeh pongah loe kadueh kami im ah caeh to hoih kue; duekhaih loe kaminawk boih hanah boenghaih loklam ah oh pongah, kahing kaminawk mah palung thungah pakuem han angaih.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.

3 Pahnuih pongah palungset to hoih kue; palungsae mikhmai mah poeknawmhaih to khuk.

Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.

4 Palungha ih palung loe palungsethaih tongh kami im ah oh, toe kamthu ih palung loe kanawm acaenghaih im ah oh.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 Kamthunawk ih laa to tahngaih pongah loe, palungha kami zoehhaih lok tahngaih to hoih kue.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

6 Kamthunawk pahnuihaih lok loe long laom tlim ih hmai tapraek soekhringkung baktiah oh; hae doeh azom pui ni.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

7 Kami pacaekthlaekhaih mah palungha kami to amthusak moe, bokhaih tangqum mah palung amrosak.

Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

8 Hmuen boenghaih loe amtonghaih pongah hoih kue, amtueng suthaih loe amoek pongah hoih kue.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 Karangah palungphui hmah, kamthunawk ih palung thungah loe palungphuihaih to oh.

Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

10 Tipongah canghnii ih aninawk loe vaihi thuem ih aninawk pongah hoih kue loe, tiah dueng hmah; to baktih lokduenghaih loe palungha lok na ai ni.

Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.

11 Palunghahaih loe qawk baktiah hoih moe, ni hnu kaminawk hanah amekhaih oh.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.

12 Phoisa loe pakaahaih ah oh baktih toengah, palunghahaih doeh pakaahaih ah oh; toe palunghahaih mah tacawtsak ih amekhaih loe hae ni; palunghahaih tawn kaminawk hanah hinghaih to paek.

For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

13 Sithaw mah sak ih hmuen to poek ah; anih mah angkawnsak tangcae ih hmuen to mi mah maw patoeng thai tih?

Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?

14 Atue hoih li naah anghoe ah; toe atue set naah khopoek ah; kami mah hmabang angzo han koi hmuen to panoek thai han ai ah, Sithaw mah taham sae kahoih maeto pacoeng maeto phaksak.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

15 Azom pui ah ka hing nathung hmuennawk boih to ka hnuk boeh; katoeng kami loe a toenghaih pongah duek moe, kasae kami loe sethaih hoiah saning kasawk ah hing lat.

All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

16 Toeng hmoek hmah loe, palungha hmoek hmah; tipongah nangmah hoi nangmah to nam ro han loe?

Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

17 Sae hmoek hmah loe, kamthu baktiah doeh om hmah; tipongah atue pha ai naah na duek han loe?

Do not be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

18 Pathlong ving ai ah, patawn caeng han kaom hmuen maeto loe hae ni; ue, Sithaw zii kami loe hmuennawk boih thung hoiah loih tih.

It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all.

19 Palungha kami maeto loe palunghahaih hoiah, vangpui thungah kaom thacak kami hato pongah thacak kue.

Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

20 Zaehaih sah vai ai, kahoih hmuen khue kasah, katoeng kami hae long nuiah mi doeh om ai.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.

21 Minawk mah thuih ih lok boih to tahngai hmah; to tiah na sak nahaeloe na tamna mah ang padaeng ih lok to na thaih moeng tih.

Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;

22 Nang doeh minawk kasae na thuih toeng, tiah na palung mah panoek.

for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.

23 Hae hmuennawk hae palunghahaih hoiah ka tanoek boih boeh; palunghahaih hoiah ka koep han boeh, tiah ka thuih, toe palunghahaih to ka phak vawt.

All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.

24 Kangthla parai hmuen, kathuk parai hmuen to mi mah maw hnu thai tih?

That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?

25 Palunghahaih hoiah ohhaih takung to pakrong moe, panoek thaih pacoengah, kasae kaminawk amthuhaih hoi kamthunawk amthuhaih panoek thai hanah, ka poekhaih palungthin to ka paqoi.

I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

26 Dongh hoi palok baktiah poekhaih katawn, qui hoiah kakom thaih nongpata loe duekhaih pongah khaa kue, tiah ka panoek; Sithaw zii kami loe anih khae hoiah loih tih, toe kazae kami loe anih khaeah aman tih.

I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

27 Khenah, patukkung mah ka hnuk ih hmuen loe hae tiah oh; ka pakrong moe, ka hnu ai ih hmuen hnuk thai hanah, maeto pacoeng maeto ka pakoep naah,

Look, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;

28 nongpa sangto thungah kami katoeng maeto ka hnuk, toe nongpatanawk boih thungah katoeng kami maeto doeh ka hnu ai.

which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

29 Khenah, ka hnuk ih hmuen maeto loe, Sithaw mah kami to katoengah sak, toe kaminawk loe pop parai hmuen to sak hanah pakrong o lat.

Look, this only have I found, that God made humankind upright, but they search for many schemes.