| 1 ܗܟܢܐ ܗܘ ܐܢܫܐ ܝܠܝܕ ܐܢܬܬܐ ܘܙܥܘܪ ܝܘܡ̈ܝܢ ܗܘ ܘܣ̇ܒܠ ܙܘ̈ܥܐ | 1 Man born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble, |
| 2 ܘܐܝܟ ܥܘܦܝܐ ܢ̇ܦܩ ܘܝ̇ܒܫ ܘܚ̇ܡܐ ܘܥ̇ܪܩ ܐܝܟ ܛܠܠܐ ܘܠܐ ܩ̇ܐܡ | 2 Like a flower that springs up and fades, swift as a shadow that does not abide. |
| 3 ܐܦ ܥܠ ܗܢܐ ܦܬܚܬ ܥܝܢܝ̈ܟ ܘܠܗ ܬܥܠ ܒܕܝܢܐ ܥܡܟ | 3 Upon such a one will you cast your eyes so as to bring him into judgment before you, |
| 4 ܡܢܘ ܢܬܠ ܕܟܝܐ ܡܢ ܛܡܐܐ ܐܦ ܠܐ ܚܕ | 4 Can a man be found who is clean of defilement? There is none, |
| 5 ܐܢ ܦܣܝܩܝܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܝܘܡ̈ܘܗܝ ܘܡܢܝܢܐ ܕܝܪ̈ܚܘܗܝ ܓܙܝܪ̈ܝܢ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܥܒܕܬ ܕܠܐ ܢܥܒܪ ܡܢܗ | 5 however short his days. You know the number of his months; you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass. |
| 6 ܘܢܦܘܫ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܢܪܗܛ ܐܝܟ ܐܓܝܪܐ ܝܘܡ̈ܘܗܝ | 6 Look away from him and let him be, while, like a hireling, he completes his day. |
| 7 ܡܛܠ ܕܐܝܬ ܠܩܝܣܐ ܣܒܪܐ ܕܐܢ ܡܬܦܣܩ ܬܘܒ ܡܚܠܦ ܘܥܢ̈ܩܘܗܝ ܠܐ ܥܢ̈ܕܢ | 7 For a tree there is hope, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender shoots will not cease. |
| 8 ܘܐܢ ܢܣܐܒ ܒܐܪܥܐ ܥܩܪܗ ܘܒܥܦܪܐ ܬܡܘܬ ܡܘܥܝܬܗ | 8 Even though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the dust, |
| 9 ܡܢ ܪܝܚܐ ܕܡ̈ܝܐ ܢܦܪܥ ܘܢܥܒܕ ܛܪ̈ܦܐ ܐܝܟ ܢܨܝܒܐ | 9 Yet at the first whiff of water it may flourish again and put forth branches like a young plant. |
| 10 ܘܓܒܪܐ ܡ̇ܐܬ ܘܒ̇ܠܐ ܘܣ̇ܐܦ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܘܠܝܬܘܗܝ | 10 But when a man dies, all vigor leaves him; when man expires, where then is he? |
| 11 ܥܢܕܝܢ ܡ̈ܝܐ ܡܢ ܝܡܐ ܘܢܗܪܐ ܚ̇ܪܒ ܘܝ̇ܒܫ | 11 As when the waters of a lake fail, or a stream grows dry and parches, |
| 12 ܘܓܒܪܐ ܕܫ̇ܟܒ ܠܐ ܩ̇ܐܡ ܥܕ ܒܠܝܢ ܫܡܝܐ ܠܐ ܢܬܬܥܝܪܘܢ ܘܠܐ ܢܕܝܢ ܡܢ ܫܢܬܗܘܢ | 12 So men lie down and rise not again. Till the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep. |
| 13 ܡ̇ܢ ܕܝܢ ܥܒܕ ܕܒܫܝܘܠ ܛܫܝܬܢܝ ܘܣܬܪܬܢܝ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܥܒܪ ܪܘܓܙܟ ܘܣܡܬ ܠܝ ܕܝܢ ܩܝܡܐ ܘܐܬܕܟܪܬܢܝ | 13 Oh, that you would hide me in the nether world and keep me sheltered till your wrath is past; would fix a time for me, and then remember me! |
| 14 ܐܢ ܡ̇ܐܬ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܠܡܐ ܚܝܐ ܘܟܠܗܘܢ ܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܕܥܠܝܡܘܬܗ ܡܣܟܐ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܐܬܝܐ ܣܝܒܘܬܗ | 14 When a man has died, were he to live again, all the days of my drudgery I would wait, until my relief should come. |
| 15 ܐܢ ܬܩܪܝܢܝ ܐܥܢܝܟ ܘܥܠ ܥܒܕ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܟ ܐܬܚܫܒ | 15 You would call, and I would answer you; you would esteem the work of your hands. |
| 16 ܡܛܠ ܕܗܫܐ ܗ̈ܠܟܬܝ ܠܐ ܬܡܢܐ ܘܠܐ ܬܛܪ ܥܠܝ ܚ̈ܛܗܝ | 16 Surely then you would count my steps, and not keep watch for sin in me. |
| 17 ܚܬܘܡ ܒܨܪܪܐ ܚ̈ܘܒܝ ܘܐܦܪܩ ܡܢܝ ܚ̈ܛܗܝ | 17 My misdeeds would be sealed up in a pouch, and you would cover over my guilt. |
| 18 ܫܪܝܪܐܝܬ ܛܘܪܐ ܥܫܝܢܐ ܢ̇ܦܠ ܐܘ ܫܩܝܦܐ ܡܬܬܙܝܥ ܡܢ ܕܘܟܬܗ | 18 But as a mountain falls at last and its rock is moved from its place, |
| 19 ܟܐܦܐ ܫܚܩܐ ܡ̈ܝܐ ܐܘ ܟܬܐ ܥܦܪܗ̇ ܕܐܪܥܐ ܣܒܪܗ ܕܐܢܫܐ ܐܘܒܕܬ | 19 As waters wear away the stones and floods wash away the soil of the land, so you destroy the hope of man. |
| 20 ܬܥܫܢܝܘܗܝ ܠܥܠܡ ܘܢܗܠܟ ܒܒܗܬܬܐ ܕܐ̈ܦܘܗܝ ܬܫܕܝܘܗܝ | 20 You prevail once for all against him and he passes on; with changed appearance you send him away. |
| 21 ܐܢ ܢܣܓܘܢ ܒ̈ܢܘܗܝ ܠܐ ܝ̇ܕܥ ܘܐܢ ܢܙܥܪܘܢ ܠܐ ܡܫܬܘܕܥ ܠܗܘܢ | 21 If his sons are honored, he is not aware of it; if they are in disgrace, he does not know about them. |
| 22 ܒܪܡ ܒܣܪܗ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܢܟܐܒ ܘܢܦܫܗ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܬܬܐܒܠ | 22 Only his own flesh pains him, and his soul grieves for him. |
