Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing.
Sithaw imthung ah na caeh naah na khok tangkan to acoe ah; amsoem ai hmuen a sak o tiah panoek ai kamthunawk ih angbawnhaih to sak pae pongah loe, lok tahngaih hanah azom ah.
2 You should not speak anything rashly, nor should your heart be hasty to present a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth. For this reason, let your words be few.
Na pakha to rangsak hmah, Sithaw hmaa ah lokthuih hanah, na poekhaih rangsak hmah; Sithaw loe van ah oh moe, nang loe long ah na oh; to pongah na lok to tamsisak ah.
3 Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.
Kapop ah poek ih hmuen to amang ah hnuk baktih toengah, lokpunghaih mah amthuhaih to amtuengsak.
4 If you have vowed anything to God, you should not delay to repay it. And whatever you have vowed, render it. But an unfaithful and foolish promise displeases him.
Sithaw khae lokkamhaih sak naah, akoepsak ai ah om hmah; anih loe kamthunawk nuiah anghoe ai; lokkamhaih to koepsak ah.
5 And it is much better not to make a vow, than, after a vow, not to fulfill what was promised.
Lokkamhaih na koepsak ai pongah loe, lokkamhaih sah ai ah oh to hoih kue.
6 You should not use your mouth so as to cause your flesh to sin. And you should not say, in the sight of an Angel, “There is no Providence.” For God, being angry at your words, may scatter all the works of your hands.
Na pakha pongah na takpum to zaehaih sahsak hmah; ka sakpazae moeng boeh tiah, van kaminawk hmaa ah thui hmah; na thuih nahaeloe Sithaw palungphui ueloe, na ban hoi sak ih hmuen to amrosak tih.
7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities and innumerable words. Yet truly, you must fear God.
Pop parai amang hoi pop hmoek ah apaeh ih lok loe avanghaih tidoeh om ai; to pongah nang loe Sithaw to zii ah.
8 If you see false accusations against the indigent, and violent judgments, and subverted justice in the government, do not be surprised over this situation. For those in high places have others who are higher, and there are still others, more eminent, over these.
Prae thungah kamtang hnaphnaehaih, toenghaih loklam hoi amkhraeng moe, patuk ih lok baktih na ai ah lokcaekhaih hoi athii palonghaih to na hnuk naah, to baktih hmuen pongah dawnrai hmah; angraeng maeto loe angmah pongah kasang kue angraeng mah anih to khet parui, nihnik doeh angmah hnik pongah kasang kue angraeng mah khet parui let bae vop.
9 But finally, there is the King who rules over the entire earth, which is subject to him.
Prae thung ih amekhaih loe kami boih han ih ni, siangpahrang angmah doeh lawk thung hoiah amekhaih to hnuk.
10 A greedy man will not be satisfied by money. And whoever loves wealth will reap no fruit from it. Therefore, this, too, is emptiness.
Phoisa palung kami loe phoisa hoiah palungdip mak ai; angraenghaih koeh kami doeh a tawnh ih hmuenmae hoiah palungdip thai mak ai; hae hmuen doeh azom pui ni.
11 Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own eyes?
Hmuenmae pop naah, patohhaih doeh pop aep; katawn kaminawk mah mik hoiah dan o khue ai ah loe tih amekhaih maw a tawnh o?
12 Sleep is sweet to one who works, whether he consumes little or much. But the satiation of a wealthy man will not permit him to sleep.
Toksahkung loe zetta caa cadoeh kapop ah caa cadoeh, iih nawm pae; angraeng loe hmuenmae tawnh mang, toe iip thai ai.
13 There is even another most burdensome infirmity, which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept to the harm of the owner.
Ni tlim ah kasae koek hmuen to ka hnuk; angraengnawk loe a tawnh o ih hmuen to angmacae patang han ih ni patung o.
14 For they are lost in a most grievous affliction. He has produced a son, who will be in the utmost destitution.
Toe to tiah angraeng kaminawk loe tahamsethaih mah anghmatsak boih; caa nongpa tapen cadoeh, anih mah toep han ih hmuen tidoeh om ai.
15 Just as he went forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and he shall take nothing with him from his labors.
Anih loe amno zokthung hoi bangkrai ah tacawt baktih toengah, bangkrai ah ni amlaem let tih; a toksakhaih to a ban hoi tidoeh sin thai mak ai.
16 It is an utterly miserable infirmity that, in the same manner as he has arrived, so shall he return. How then does it benefit him, since he has labored for the wind?
Kami loe angmah angzohhaih baktiah, caeh let tih, hae doeh kasae koek hmuen ah ni oh; takhi hanah toksak hae timaw amekhaih oh?
17 All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness.
Anih hinghaih aninawk loe khoving thungah laemsak boih; palungsethaih, palungphuihaih, nathaih hoiah ni kho a sak.
18 And so, this has seemed good to me: that a person should eat and drink, and should enjoy the fruits of his labor, in which he has toiled under the sun, for the number of the days of his life that God has given him. For this is his portion.
Sithaw mah paek ih hinghaih ni setta thungah kami han kahoih, kamsoem ah kaom ka hnuk ih hmuen loe caaknaek moe, tha pathok hoiah hnuk ih toksakhaih atho nuiah poeknawm ah khosakhaih hae ni; to hmuen loe angmah khosakhaih taham ah ni oh roe boeh.
19 And this is a gift from God: that every man to whom God has given wealth and resources, and to whom he has granted the ability to consume these, may enjoy his portion, and may find joy in his labors.
Sithaw mah kami boih hanah angraenghaih hoi hmuenmae tawnhhaih to paek; to hmuennawk hoi kanawm ah khosakhaih to paek, angmah ih taham to laksak moe, a toksakhaih pongah anghoehaih to paek; hae hmuen loe Sithaw ih tangqum ah ni oh.
20 And then he will not fully remember the days of his life, because God occupies his heart with delights.
Sithaw mah poeknawmhaih palungthin to paek boeh pongah, kalaem tangcae khosakhaih aninawk to poek mak ai boeh.
