Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who [is] as the wise [man]? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Mi maw palungha baktiah kaom? Mi maw hmuennawk kawng to thui thaih? Palunghahaih mah palungha kami ih mikhmai to pansak moe, anih ih mikhmai amtuenghaih kasae to amkhraisak.

2 I [counsel thee] to keep the king’s commandment, and [that] in regard of the oath of God.

Sithaw hmaa ah sak ih lokkamhaih to poek ah loe, siangpahrang lokpaekhaih to tahngai ah.

3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Siangpahrang hmaa hoi karangah tacawt hmah; kasae hmuen sak hanah angdoe haih hmah; anih loe a koeh baktiah sah tih.

4 Where the word of a king [is, there is] power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Siangpahrang ih lok loe thacak; mi mah maw anih khaeah, timaw na sak? tiah naa thai tih.

5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Mi kawbaktih doeh anih ih lok tahngai kami loe nganbawh kana hak mak ai; palungha kami ih palungthin mah loe atue hoi lokcaekhaih to panoek hmaek.

6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man [is] great upon him.

Kami nuiah raihaih hmuenzit pha langlacadoeh, kawbaktih hmuen ah doeh sakhaih atue hoi sakhaih dan to oh boih.

7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

Hmabang ih akawng loe mi mah doeh panoek ai pongah, angzo han koi hmuen to mi mah maw thui thai tih?

8 [There is] no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither [hath he] power in the day of death: and [there is] no discharge in [that] war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

Angmah ih muithla pazawk hanah, patawn thaih mi doeh om ai; duek thaih han ai ah duekhaih nuiah thacakhaih tawn mi doeh om ai; misatuh kami loe anghak ai; hmuen kasae sah kaminawk loe a sak o ih sethaih mah nihcae to loisak thai mak ai.

9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: [there is] a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

Ni tlim ah sak ih hmuennawk boih ka poek naah, hae hmuennawk hae ka hnuk; angmah nganbawh kana hak hanah kami maeto mah kalah kami ukhaih atue to oh.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this [is] also vanity.

To pacoengah kasae kaminawk loe aphum o, toe hmuenciim ah angzo moe, kacaeh kaminawk duek o naah loe, a sak o ih vangpui kaminawk mah nihcae to pahnet o boih, tiah ka hnuk; hae doeh azom pui ni.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Zaehaih sah kaminawk to karangah danpaek ai pongah, kaminawk ih palungthin loe zae sak koehhaih hoiah koi.

12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his [days] be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

Kami zae loe zaehaih cumvaito sah moe, hinglung sawk cadoeh; Sithaw zii kaminawk loe angmah hmaa ah khingyahaih hoiah akuep o pongah, khosak hoihaih to hnu o tih, tiah ka panoek khuek boeh.

13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Kasae kami loe Sithaw to zii ai pongah, khosak hoihaih hnu mak ai; hinghaih doeh sawk mak ai, anih hinghaih loe tahlip baktiah oh.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just [men], unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked [men], to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also [is] vanity.

Azom pui ah kaom hmuen to longah ka hnuk let bae vop; kasae kaminawk mah hnuk han koi sethaih to katoeng kaminawk mah hnuk o moe, katoeng kaminawk mah hnuk han koi tangqum to kasae kaminawk mah hnuk o lat; hae doeh azom pui ni, tiah ka poek.

15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

To pongah kanawm ah khosakhaih to tha ka paek, caaknaek moe, kanawm ah ohhaih khue ai ah loe, ni tlim ah kami han amekhaih tidoeh om ai; Sithaw mah hinghaih paek nathung ni tlim ah tok to sak moe, hnuk ih amekhaih loe to baktih nawmhaih khue to boeh ni.

16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also [there is that] neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes: )

Long nuiah toksakhaih hnuk hanah, palunghahaih hoiah panoek thaih han ka poek naah, mik loe khoving khodai iip ai;

17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek [it] out, yet he shall not find [it; ] yea further; though a wise [man] think to know [it], yet shall he not be able to find [it].

Sithaw mah sak ih hmuennawk boih ka khet naah, ni tlim ah sak ih toknawk to mi mah doeh panoek thai ai; tha pathok moe, hnuk han pakrong cadoeh panoek thai mak ai; ue, palungha kami mah ka panoek, tiah a poek, toe hnu thai mak ai.