| 1 ܕܒ̈ܒܐ ܕܡܝܬܝܢ ܡܣܪܝܢ ܡܐܢܐ ܕܡܫܚܐ ܒܣܝܡܐ ܝܩܝܪܐ ܡܢ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܡܢ ܣܘܓܐܬ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܩܠܝܠ | 1 More weighty than wisdom or wealth is a little folly! |
| 2 ܠܒܗ ܕܚܟܝܡܐ ܠܝܡܝܢܗ ܘܠܒܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܠܣܡܠܗ | 2 The wise man's understanding turns him to his right; the fool's understanding turns him to his left. |
| 3 ܘܐܦ ܣܟܠܐ ܡܐ ܕܐܙܠ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܠܒܗ ܚܣܝܪ ܘܟܠ ܕܡܬܚܫܒ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܗܝ | 3 When the fool walks through the street, in his lack of understanding he calls everything foolish. |
| 4 ܐܢ ܪܘܚܐ ܕܫܠܝܛܐ ܬܣܩ ܥܠܝܟ ܐܬܪܟ ܠܐ ܬܫܒܘܩ ܡܛܘܠ ܕܡܪܦܝܘܬܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܚ̈ܛܗܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ | 4 Should the anger of the ruler burst upon you, forsake not your place; for mildness abates great offenses. |
| 5 ܐܝܬ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܕܚܙܝܬ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܐܝܟ ܛܘܥܝܝ ܕܢܦܩܬ ܩܕܡ ܫܠܝܛܐ | 5 I have seen under the sun another evil, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler: |
| 6 ܕܝܬܒ ܣܟܠܐ ܒܪܘܡܐ ܥܫܝܢܐ ܘܥܬܝܪ̈ܐ ܒܡܘܟܟܐ ܢܬܒܘܢ | 6 a fool put in lofty position while the rich sit in lowly places. |
| 7 ܚܙܝܬ ܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܥܠ ܪ̈ܟܫܐ ܘܫ̈ܠܝܛܢܐ ܕܡܗܠܟܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܥܠ ܐܪܥܐ | 7 I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes walked on the ground like slaves. |
| 8 ܕܚܦܪ ܓܘܡܨܐ ܒܗ ܢܦܠ ܘܕܬܪܥ ܣܝܓܐ ܢܟܬܝܘܗܝ ܚܘܝܐ | 8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a serpent. |
| 9 ܕܡܫܢܐ ܟܐ̈ܦܐ ܢܬܟܐܒ ܒܗܝܢ ܘܕܡܨܠܚ ܩܝܣ̈ܐ ܠܐܐ ܒܗܘܢ | 9 He who moves stones may be hurt by them, and he who chops wood is in danger from it. |
| 10 ܐܢ ܩܗܐ ܦܪܙܠܐ ܘܗܘ ܐ̈ܦܐ ܕܠܚ ܘܩ̈ܛܝܠܐ ܡܣܓܐ ܘܝܘܬܪܢܐ ܠܟܫܝܪ̈ܐ ܚܟܡܬܐ | 10 If the iron becomes dull, though at first he made easy progress, he must increase his efforts; but the craftsman has the advantage of his skill. |
| 11 ܘܐܢ ܢܟܬ ܚܘܝܐ ܕܠܐ ܠܘܚܫܬܐ ܠܝܬ ܝܘܬܪܢ ܒܠܚܘܫܐ | 11 If the serpent bites because it has not been charmed, then there is no advantage for the charmer. |
| 12 ܡ̈ܠܝ ܦܘܡܗ ܕܚܟܝܡܐ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܘܣ̈ܦܘܬܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܡܛܒ̈ܥܢ ܠܗ | 12 Words from the wise man's mouth win favor, but the fool's lips consume him. |
| 13 ܪܝܫ ܡ̈ܠܝ ܦܘܡܗ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܘܚܪܬܐ ܕܦܘܡܗ ܦܘܪܣܝܐ ܒܝܫܐ | 13 The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is utter madness; |
| 14 ܘܣܟܠܐ ܡܣܓܐ ܡ̈ܠܝܢ ܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܡܐ ܕܗܘܐ ܘܡܐ ܕܢܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܒܬܪܗ ܡܢܘ ܡܚܘܐ ܠܗ | 14 yet the fool multiplies words. Man knows not what is to come, for who can tell him what is to come after him? |
| 15 ܥܡܠܗܘܢ ܕܣ̈ܟܠܐ ܡܠܐܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥܘ ܠܡܐܙܠ ܠܡܕܝܢܬܐ | 15 When will the fool be weary of his labor, he who knows not the way to the city? |
| 16 ܘܝ ܠܟܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܡܠܟܟܝ ܛܠܐ ܘܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܝܟܝ ܒܨܦܪܐ ܐܟܠܝܢ | 16 Woe to you, O land, whose king was a servant, and whose princes dine in the morning! |
| 17 ܛܘܒܝܟܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܡܠܟܟܝ ܒܪ ܚܐܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܝܟܝ ܒܥܕܢܗܘܢ ܐܟܠܝܢ ܒܟܫܝܪܘܬܐ ܘܠܐ ܒܡܫܬܝܐ | 17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of noble birth, and whose princes dine at the right time (for vigor and not in drinking bouts). |
| 18 ܒܫܦܠܘܬܐ ܢܬܡܟܟ ܬܛܠܝܠܐ ܘܒܫܦܠܘܬ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ ܢܕܠܦ ܒܝܬܐ | 18 When hands are lazy, the rafters sag; when hands are slack, the house leaks. |
| 19 ܠܚܕܘܬܐ ܥܒܝܕܝܢ ܠܚܡܐ ܘܚܡܪܐ ܘܡܫܚܐ ܕܢܚܕܘܢ ܠܚ̈ܝܐ ܘܟܣܦܐ ܡܡܟܟ ܘܡܛܥܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܟܠ | 19 Bread and oil call forth merriment and wine makes the living glad, but money answers for everything. |
| 20 ܘܐܦ ܒܡܕܥܟ ܠܡܠܟܐ ܠܐ ܬܨܚܐ ܘܒܩܝܛܘܢ ܡܫܟܒܟ ܠܐ ܬܨܚܐ ܠܥܬܝܪܐ ܡܛܘܠ ܕܥܘܦܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ ܢܘܒܠ ܩܠܟ ܘܡܪܐ ܥܘܦܐ ܢܚܘܐ ܦܬ̈ܓܡܝܟ | 20 Even in your thoughts do not make light of the king, nor in the privacy of your bedroom revile the rich. Because the birds of the air may carry your voice, a winged creature may tell what you say. |
