1A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
1Nuhtheih mantam sangin min hoih a hoihjaw; huan mi pian ni sangin sih ni.
2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
2Ankuangluina ina hoh sangin, sunna ina hoh a hoihjaw: huai lah mite tengteng tawpna ahi ngala; huan mihingin a lungtang taka a ngaihtuah.
3Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
3Nuih sangin lungkham a hoihjaw: mel lungkhamna ah lungtang kipahsakin lah a om ngala.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
4Mi pil lungtang sunna in ah a om; himahleh mi haite lungtang vualnopna in ah a om.
5It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
5Mi adingin mihaite lasak jak sangin, mi pil taina jak a hoih jaw.
6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
6Bel nuaia lingte puak vengvung bangin, mihai nuihna huchibangin a om ngala: hiai leng bangmahlou ahi.
7Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
7Simmohnain mi pil a haisak mahmaha; thilpiakin theihsiamna a susia hi.
8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
8A kipatna sangin thil tawpna a hoihjaw: lungsima kisaktheih sangin lungsima dohtheih a hoihjaw hi.
9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
9Heh dingin na lungsimin mangang ken; hehna lah mihaite awm ah a khawl ngala.
10Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
10Ni danglaite hiaite sanga a hoihjawkna a jiak bang ahia? chi ken; hiai thu lah pilhuaitakin na dong ngal keia.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
11Pilna gouluah bangin a hoiha; ahi, amau ni mute adingin a hoihzo tham hi.
12For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
12Dangkasum khihumna ahi bangin, pilna lah kihumna ahi ngala: himahleh theihna hoihjawkna bel, pilnain a neimi hinna a hawisak hi.
13Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
13Pathian nasep ngaihtuahin: aman a kawisaksa, kua ahia bawl tang thei ding leh?
14In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
14Hauhsak niin nuamsa inla, huan vangtahniin ngaihtuahin: mihingin a nunga thil om ding a muh khiak louhna dingin, Pathianin khat lah a dang kiangah kihiang helhelin a bawl a.
15All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
15Ka bangmahlou niin hiai tengteng ka muta hi: mi diktat a diktatnaa mangthang a oma, huan mi gilou a gilou bawlnaa a hinna hihsau a om hi.
16Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
16Diktat lojen ken; kipilsak lojen sam ken: bangdia nang kihihse ding na hia?
17Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
17Gilo lojen kenla, hai sam ken: na hun tun maa bangdia si ding na hia?
18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
18Hiai na let chinten a hoih hi; ahi huai akipanin leng na khut kai ken: kuapeuh Pathian kihta lah amute tengteng akipan honpai khe ding uh ahi ngala.
19Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
19Khopi-a om vaihawmmi sawm sangin mi pil a dingin pilna a thupijaw hi.
20Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
20Hoih hiha, khiallou, leitungah mi diktatna a om mahmah kei hi.
21Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
21Thu kigen tengteng leng limsak khol dahin; huchilouin jaw na sikhain nang a honhamsiat na za kha ding hi:
22For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
22Na lungtangin lah huchimahbangin nang leng midante na hamsiat mun chih a thei ngala.
23All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
23Hiai tengteng pilnain ka enchian veka: Ka pil ding ka chia; himahleh kei akipan a gamla hi.
24Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
24Alah a gamla, a thuk petpeta; kuan a mu khe thei dia?
25I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
25Ka kipumheia, thei ding leh zong khe ding, pilna zong ding leh, thilte ziak zong ding, gitlouhna haina ahi chih thei ding leh, haina lungsimkimlouhna ahi chih thei dingin ka lungtang koih kipin a om hi:
26and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
26Sihna sanga kha jaw tuh numei, a lungtang thangte leh lente hia, a khut henna khau hi tuh ahi chih ka muta.
27See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
27Ngaiin, hiai ka mu khia, thugen tuin a chi: thil a omdan tak mukhe dingin thil akhat akhat ka buka,
28which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
28tuin leng ka zong laia ka mu kei: pasal sang khat lak a mi tang khat ka mu, himahleh numei tengteng laka ah mitang ka mu kei.Ngaiin, Pathianin mihing hoihtakin a bawl chih, hiai kia ka mu-a; himahleh bawltawm tampi a zong khia uh.
29Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
29Ngaiin, Pathianin mihing hoihtakin a bawl chih, hiai kia ka mu-a; himahleh bawltawm tampi a zong khia uh.