¹There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men:

¹Ni nuaia ka muh gilou a oma, mite tungah a gik hi:

²one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.

²Mi Pathianin hausakna leh neihzohna leh, zahna a piaka, huchi-a a deihpeuha a kha adia bangmah taksap nei het lou-a, a hihhanga huaia ne dinga Pathianin thilhihtheihna a piak louha, mikhualin a nek jawkna: hiai bangmah lou ahi a, gilou natna ahi.

³If a man beget a hundred [sons], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.

³Mihingin ta za khat suang henla, kum tampi damin a kumte nite tampi pha leh, a kha lah hoihin dim kei ngalin, kivuina neikei ngal leh; amah dingin a hun lou-a pian a hoihjaw ka chi ahi:

⁴For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness;

⁴Bangmahlou ah lah a hong hi-a, khomial ah a pai manga, huaia min khomialin a khuh hi;

⁵moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.

⁵Huailouin ni a mu keia theih leng a theikei; hiaiin a dang sangin a khawlna a neia:

⁶Yea, though he live twice a thousand years, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

⁶A hi, kum sang khat gen tuan dam mahleh, hoih nuam a sak pih tuan kei: bang teng mun khat ah a pai kei umaw?

⁷All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

⁷Mihing sepgimna tengteng a kam ading ahi a, himahleh a gilkialna a dim tuan kei.

⁸For what advantage hath the wise above the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

⁸Mi hai sangin mipilin bang phatuamna a nei aleh? Ahihkeileh, mihing maa omdan thei, mi gentheiin bang a neia?

⁹Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

⁹Lunggulhna tamvak sangin mitte muh a hoihjaw hi: hiai leng bangmahlou leh huih nungdelh ahi.

¹⁰That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.

¹⁰A naomkhinsa bangpeuh, sawtpi-a huai a min piaksa ahi, huan mihing ahi chih theih ahi: amah sanga hatjaw amah toh leng a kisual theikei ding hi.

¹¹For there are many things that increase vanity: what is man advantaged?

¹¹Thil tampi bangmahlou pungsak a om ding chih theiin, mihing bang a hoih tuana?A damsung bangmahlou limliap banga a sukbei tengteng, a damsangin mihing adinga hoih kuan a thei aleh? Ni nuaiah amah nungin bang a om dia chih kuan mihing a hilh theia ahia?

¹²For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?

¹²A damsung bangmahlou limliap banga a sukbei tengteng, a damsangin mihing adinga hoih kuan a thei aleh? Ni nuaiah amah nungin bang a om dia chih kuan mihing a hilh theia ahia?