Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem ih siangpahrang, David capa, Patukkung ih loknawk loe hae tiah oh.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Azom pui ni! Azom pui ni! tiah Patukkung mah thuih; azom pui ni! Hmuen boih hae azom pui ah ni oh.
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
Kami mah ni tlim ah angpho qawt hoi toksakhaih atho timaw oh?
4 One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever.
Adung maeto laemh naah, adung kalah maeto angzoh; toe long loe dungzan khoek to cak poe.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.
Ni doeh tacawt tahang moe, akun tathuk, angmah tacawthaih ahmuen hoiah ni tacawt let.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
Takhi loe aloih bangah song tathuk moe, aluek bangah amlaem tahang; ahnuk ahma amhae moe, a songhaih ahmuen ah amlaem let.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
Vapuinawk boih loe tuipui ah long o tathuk; toe tuipui loe koi ai toengtoeng vop, vapuinawk loe angmacae long tangsuekhaih ahmuen ah amlaem o let.
8 All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Hmuen boih loe kami mah thui thaih han ai khoek to, angpho haih koiah ni oh o; mik mah a hnukhaih to boep thai ai, naa doeh a thaihaih hoiah koi thai ai.
9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Kaom han koi hmuen loe, kaom tangcae hmuen baktiah ni om tih; sak han kaom hmuen doeh, sak tangcae hmuen baktih ni sah let tih; ni tlim ah hmuen kangtha tidoeh om ai.
10 Is there a thing whereof men say, See, this is new? it hath been already, in the ages which were before us.
Khenah, Hae loe hmuen kangtha ah oh, tiah thuih han koi hmuen oh maw? To baktih hmuen loe canghnii hoiah ni oh boeh.
11 There is no remembrance of the former [generations]; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.
Canghnii ih hmuennawk to mi mah doeh panoek ai boeh; angzo han koi kaminawk mah doeh, angzo han koi hmuennawk to panoek o mak ai.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Kai, Patukkung loe Jerusalem Israel siangpahrang ah ka oh.
13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
Ni tlim ah sak ih hmuennawk boih to palunghahaih hoiah ka pakrong moe, panoek thai hanah tha ka pathok; Sithaw mah to hmuenzit to kaminawk hanah pahoe pae boeh.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ni tlim ah sak ih hmuennawk to ka hnuk boih; khenah, hmuen boih loe azom pui ni, poek angpho han ih ni oh o.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Angkawn pacoeng boeh loe patoengh thai ai boeh; angaihaih doeh kroek thai ai boeh.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Khenah, kai loe, ka om ai nathuem ih Israel ukkungnawk pongah, ka len kue moe, palunghahaih bangah doeh ka sang kue; ue, palunghahaih hoi panoekhaih to pop kue ah ka tawnh, tiah ka poek.
17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
Palunghahaih bang, amthuhaih bang hoi poek cai ai ah ohhaih bangah doeh, ka panoek thai hanah palungthin to ka paek; hae hmuen doeh takhi hnuk patom baktiah ni oh toengtoeng.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Palunghahaih pop baktiah, palungsethaih doeh pop; panoekhaih pop kami loe, palungsethaih doeh pop aep.
