Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one’s birth.
A ming te tah situi then lakah ah then tih dueknah hnin he a cun khohnin lakah then.
2 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 will lay it to his heart.
Nguekcoinah im la caeh te buhkoknah im la caeh lakah then. He tah hlang boeih kah a bawtnah coeng tih aka hing loh a lungbuei ah dueh saeh.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Konoinah he nueihbu lakah then. Maelhmai thaenah long ni lungbuei a voelphoeng sak.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Aka cueih kah lungbuei tah nguekcoinah im ah dae aka ang kah lungbuei tah kohoenah im ah om.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Aka cueih kah tluungnah hnatun he tah aka ang laa aka hnatun hlang lakah then.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
Am lae kah hling ol bangla aka ang kah nueihbu khaw om. Te dongah he khaw a honghi ni.
7 Surely extortion maketh the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroyeth the understanding.
Hnaemtaeknah loh hlangcueih a yan sak tih kutdoe loh lungbuei a poo sak.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ol bawtnah he a tongnah lakah then. Aka ueh kah mueihla he aka oek kah mueihla lakah then.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Huesak hamla na mueihla neh let sak boeh. Konoinah he aka ang kah rhang dongah ni a kol.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
“Balae tih hnukbuet kah a tue aka om te tahae kah lakah a then la a om?” ti boeh. Te bang te cueihnah neh na dawt moenih.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.
Cueihnah tah rho la then tih khomik aka hmu ham khaw hoeikhang.
12 For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
Cueihnah hlipkhup ah om he tangka hlipkhup kah om banghui ni. Tedae mingnah he tah rhoeikhangnah la om tih cueihnah long tah a kungmah te a hing sak.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Pathen kah bibi te hmu lah. Amah loh a khun sak te dueng hamla aka noeng te unim?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything [that shall be] after him.
A then tue vaengah tah a then la om. Tedae a yoethae tue vaengkah khaw hmu. He khaw dumlai dongah Pathen loh voeivang ah a khueh. Te daengah ni hlang loh a hnukah te pakhat khaw a hmu pawt eh.
15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth [his life] in his evil-doing.
Kamah kah a honghi tue vaengah a cungkuem te ka hmuh. Amah kah duengnah dongah aka paltham hlang dueng om tih a boethae neh aka nguel halang khaw om.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Aka dueng koek la om boel lamtah hoeikhangnah aih ham khaw cueih boeh. Balae tih namah na phae uh?
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Muep poehlip boel lamtah lunghmang la om boeh. Balae tih namah tue pawt vaengah na duek eh?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all.
He he na tuuk vaengah na kut te ke lamloh na hlah pawt ham then. Pathen aka rhih ham tah a cungkuem te a noeng.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
Cueihnah long tah aka cueih te khopuei kah aka om boei parha lakah khaw a tanglue sak.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Diklai hman ah hnothen a saii tih aka tholh pawh hlang dueng a om moenih.
21 Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;
Ol a thui uh boeih te khaw na lungbuei pae boeh. Te pawt koinih na sal loh namah n'tap te na ya ve.
22 for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
Namah loh hlang tloe na tap te na lungbuei loh a voei a yet khaw a ming.
23 All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
He boeih he cueihnah neh ka noemcai tih, “Ka cueih eh,” ka ti dae kai lamloh lakhla laklo.
24 That which is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out?
Te tla a om te khaw hla coeng tih a dung lakah dung coeng. Te te aka hmu te unim?
25 I turned about, and my heart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
Kamah neh ka lungbuei khaw, uepnah koi kah halangnah neh anglatnah, lunghmangnah te ming ham neh yaam hamla, cueihnah neh poeknah tlap hamla ka maelh.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
A lungbuei te tluum neh soh la a tung tih a kut dongah pinyennah aka khueh huta he dueknah lakah khahing la ka hmuh. Pathen mikhmuh ah aka then tah anih taeng lamloh loeih suidae aka tholh tah anih loh a tuuk ni.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, [laying] one thing to another, to find out the account;
So lah he, thuituenkung loh a thui bangla poeknah hmuh hamla pakhat soah pakhat ka phoel.
28 which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
Te te ka hinglu loh a tlap pueng dae ka hmuh moenih. Thawngkhat khuiah tongpa pakhat ka hmuh dae te boeih lakli ah huta ka hmuh moenih.
29 Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
He bueng mah so lah. Pathen loh hlang he a thuem la a saii coeng dae amih loh phuengnah muep a tlap uh te ka hmuh.
