Ecclesiastes 4
1 I thought some more about all the suffering that people are caused to experience on the earth [MTY]. I saw the tears of people who were (oppressed/treated cruelly) and who had no one to comfort/encourage them. Those who oppressed them had power, and there was absolutely no one who was able to comfort those who were being oppressed.
Ka mael tih khomik hmuikah a hnaemtaek rhoek boeih te ka sawt. Te te khomik hmuiah a saii uh tih a hnaemtaek rhoek kah mikphi aih ke, amih aka hloep ham khaw om pawh. Aka hnaemtaek rhoek kah kut ah tah a thadueng om tih a haemtaek rhoek te aka hloep om pawh.
2 [So] I thought that those who are already dead are more fortunate than those who are still alive.
Kai tah aka hing pueng amih hlang hing rhoek lakah aka duek tangtae hlang duek rhoek te ka domyok sak mai.
3 And those who have not been born yet are more fortunate than those who are still alive and those who have died, [because] those who have not been born have not seen all the evil things that are done on the earth.
Te rhoi lakah khaw, aka om hlan neh khomik hmuikah khoboe thae a saii aka hmuh pawt te then duen.
4 I also thought about all the hard work that people do and the skills that they have. And I thought about how they compete with each other because they are envious of others, [and I concluded that] this also is something that is not accomplishing anything useful, [like] chasing the wind.
Thakthaenah cungkuem neh bibi thoemthainah cungkuem khaw ka hmuh coeng. Te dongah hlang loh a hui taengkah thatlainah he khaw a honghi neh khohli doinah mai ni.
5 Foolish people [refuse to work]; they sit idly, with their hands folded, [and do not work]. [So] they ruin themselves.
Aka ang loh a kut te a poem tih amah saa te a caak.
6 [So I say], “It is better to be content with not having much money, than to work very hard and try to get a lot of money, which is [as useless as] chasing the wind.”
thakthaenah neh khohli doinah kutnarhum a bae lakah kutvang dongkah aka bae mongnah he then ngai.
7 I thought about something else that happens on the earth [MTY] that seems senseless.
Ka mael vaengah he khomik hmuiah a honghi ni ka hmuh.
8 There are men who live alone; they do not have a wife or children or any brothers living with them; every day they work [very hard], without stopping, to get a lot of money, but they are never satisfied with the things that they have. They never ask [themselves], “Why am I working very hard to earn more money? Why am I not doing things that would cause me to be happy?” What they do also seems senseless.
Hlang he pakhat bueng om tih a pabae a om moenih. Capa neh manuca khaw a taengah a om moenih. Te dongah a thakthaenah cungkuem dongah a bawtnah om pawh. A mik, a mik ah khuehtawn khaw hah pawh. U ham nim thakthaenah ka om tih, hnothen lamloh ka hinglu he a vaitah? He khaw a honghi neh boethae bibi coeng ni.
9 Having someone [work] with you is better than being by yourself [all the time]. If you have a friend, he can help you to do your work.
Pakhat lakah panit he then, amih ham tah a thakthaenah dongah khaw thapang then om coeng.
10 If you fall down, he can help you get up again. But if you fall down when you are alone, it will be difficult for you, because there will be no one to help you stand up.
Cungku rhoi cakhaw pakhat loh a hui te a thoh. Tedae amah pakhat bueng ki aka cungku te khomap coeng tih anih aka thoh ham koep om pawh.
11 Similarly, if two people sleep together, they can keep each other warm. But someone who sleeps alone will certainly not [RHQ] be warm.
Panit a yalh rhoi vaengah tah amah rhoi khaw bae dae pakhat tah metlam a bae eh?
12 Someone who is alone can easily be attacked and defeated by another person, but two people can help each other and (resist/defend themselves against) someone who attacks them. [Three people can defend themselves even more easily], [like] a rope that is made from three cords is harder to break [than a rope made from two cords].
Anih te khat khat loh khulae mai cakhaw a taengah panit la pai rhoi thai. Rhuihet pathum a yaep tah a yoei la a pat moenih.
13 A young man who is poor but wise is a better person than a foolish old king who refuses to pay attention when people try to give him good advice.
Khodaeng dae aka cueih camoe he patong tih aka ang manghai lakah then. Anih te koep thuituen ham khaw a ming moenih.
14 It is possible for a young man like that to succeed and some day become king, even if his parents were poor or even if he was in prison some of the time.
A pin nah im lamloh manghai taengla aka pawk khaw, a ram ah khodaeng la a cun khaw amah boeiloeih.
15 But then some other young man becomes king, and everyone (starts to support/is pleased with) him.
Khomik hmuiah aka pongpa mulhing boeih tah manghai yueng la aka pai camoe pabae taengah a pai te ka hmuh.
16 Large crowds of people crowd around him. But after a few years, they will reject him, [too]. So it is all senseless, [like] chasing after the wind.
Pilnam boeih ham te a bawtnah om pawh. Amah te cungkuem taengah a hmai la a om pah dae lamhnuk rhoek loh anih taengah ko a hoe uh moenih. He khaw a honghi neh khohli dongkah kohnek mai ni.
