¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

¹Thugenpa, David tapa, Jerusalem kumpipa thute.

²“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

²Bangmahloute bangmahlou, bangmahloute bangmahlou, bangteng bangmahlouh ahi, Thugenpan a chi.

³What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

³A sepgimna tengteng ni nuaia a sepgim akipan mihingin bang phattuamna a nei a?

⁴One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

⁴Khang khat a paia, khang dang a hongtunga; huan khantawnin lei a om gige.

⁵The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

⁵Ni leng a suak jela, huan ni a tum jel; huchiin a suahna a mun lamah a kiknawn pah.

⁶The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

⁶Sim lamah huih a paia, mal lamah a kilehheia; a lampi ah a kivial hei ngitnget, huan huih a lam zuihah a kik nawn jel hi.

⁷All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

⁷Luite tengteng tuipi ah a luang lut ua, himahleh tuipi a dim tuan kei: luite paina mun lamah, huailamah a pai nawn uh.

⁸All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁸Thil tengteng gimnain a dima; mihingin a gen theikei: muhin mit a lungkim keia, jakin bil leng a lungkim sam kei.

⁹That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

⁹A omkhinsa a hongom ding ahi a; huan hihkhitsa hiha om ding ahi a; huchiin ni nuaiah thil thak a om kei hi.

¹⁰Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new?” It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

¹⁰En dih, hiai a thak? chi-a miten a gen uh thil a om hia? a om khinsa ahi, i ma ua hunte ah.

¹¹There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

¹¹Khang masate theihgigena a om kei; a hongom ding khang nanunglam theihgigena leng a om sam kei ding, a nung hongom dingte lakah.

¹²I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹²Kei Thugenpa Jerusalem ah Israel tungah kumpipa ka hi a.

¹³I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹³Huan van nuaia hiha omte tengteng tungtang pilnaa zong ding leh zong khe dinga ka lungtang suah ka hi: huaia kisuk dinga mite tapate kianga Pathianin a piak nakpi taka gimna ahi.

¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹⁴Ni nuaia hiha om nasepte tengteng ka mutaa; huan, ngaiin, bangteng bangmahlou a hi-a huih nung delh ahi.

¹⁵That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹⁵A kawisa bawltang theih ahi kei: huan a kimlou sim theih ahi kei.

¹⁶I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁶Keimah lungtang ka houlimpiha, Ngaiin, Jerusalema ka maa omte tengteng sangin pilna thupi ka honmuh saka; ahi, ka lungtangin pilna a neita, chiin.

¹⁷I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

¹⁷Huan pilna thei ding leh, haina haitatna thei dingin ka lungtang ka suka: hiai leng huih nungdelh ahi chih ka thei hi.Pil mahmahnaah lah lungkham mahmahna a om ngala: huan kuapeuh theihna khangsakin lungkham a khangsak hi.

¹⁸For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

¹⁸Pil mahmahnaah lah lungkham mahmahna a om ngala: huan kuapeuh theihna khangsakin lungkham a khangsak hi.