1A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better 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: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this 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.
3Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
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 is 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 to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man 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 extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
7Simmohnain mi pil a haisak mahmaha; thilpiakin theihsiamna a susia hi.
8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
8A kipatna sangin thil tawpna a hoihjaw: lungsima kisaktheih sangin lungsima dohtheih a hoihjaw hi.
9Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
9Heh dingin na lungsimin mangang ken; hehna lah mihaite awm ah a khawl ngala.
10Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about 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. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
11Pilna gouluah bangin a hoiha; ahi, amau ni mute adingin a hoihzo tham hi.
12For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
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 that straight, which he has made crooked?
13Pathian nasep ngaihtuahin: aman a kawisaksa, kua ahia bawl tang thei ding leh?
14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything 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 my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
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.
16Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
16Diktat lojen ken; kipilsak lojen sam ken: bangdia nang kihihse ding na hia?
17Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
17Gilo lojen kenla, hai sam ken: na hun tun maa bangdia si ding na hia?
18It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that don’t withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come 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 is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who 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 on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin.
20Hoih hiha, khiallou, leitungah mi diktatna a om mahmah kei hi.
21Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
21Thu kigen tengteng leng limsak khol dahin; huchilouin jaw na sikhain nang a honhamsiat na za kha ding hi:
22for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
22Na lungtangin lah huchimahbangin nang leng midante na hamsiat mun chih a thei ngala.
23All this have I proved in 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.
24That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
24Alah a gamla, a thuk petpeta; kuan a mu khe thei dia?
25I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is 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:
26I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
26Sihna sanga kha jaw tuh numei, a lungtang thangte leh lente hia, a khut henna khau hi tuh ahi chih ka muta.
27“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “one to another, to find out the scheme;
27Ngaiin, hiai ka mu khia, thugen tuin a chi: thil a omdan tak mukhe dingin thil akhat akhat ka buka,
28which my soul still seeks; but I have not found. One man among a thousand have I found; but I have not found a woman among all those.
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.
29Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes.”
29Ngaiin, Pathianin mihing hoihtakin a bawl chih, hiai kia ka mu-a; himahleh bawltawm tampi a zong khia uh.