| 1 ܕܒ̈ܒܐ ܕܡܝܬܝܢ ܡܣܪܝܢ ܡܐܢܐ ܕܡܫܚܐ ܒܣܝܡܐ ܝܩܝܪܐ ܡܢ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܡܢ ܣܘܓܐܬ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܩܠܝܠ | 1 Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off an evil odor; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. |
| 2 ܠܒܗ ܕܚܟܝܡܐ ܠܝܡܝܢܗ ܘܠܒܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܠܣܡܠܗ | 2 A wise man's heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool's heart toward the left. |
| 3 ܘܐܦ ܣܟܠܐ ܡܐ ܕܐܙܠ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܠܒܗ ܚܣܝܪ ܘܟܠ ܕܡܬܚܫܒ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܗܝ | 3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to every one that he is a fool. |
| 4 ܐܢ ܪܘܚܐ ܕܫܠܝܛܐ ܬܣܩ ܥܠܝܟ ܐܬܪܟ ܠܐ ܬܫܒܘܩ ܡܛܘܠ ܕܡܪܦܝܘܬܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܚ̈ܛܗܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ | 4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for deference will make amends for great offenses. |
| 5 ܐܝܬ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܕܚܙܝܬ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܐܝܟ ܛܘܥܝܝ ܕܢܦܩܬ ܩܕܡ ܫܠܝܛܐ | 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: |
| 6 ܕܝܬܒ ܣܟܠܐ ܒܪܘܡܐ ܥܫܝܢܐ ܘܥܬܝܪ̈ܐ ܒܡܘܟܟܐ ܢܬܒܘܢ | 6 folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. |
| 7 ܚܙܝܬ ܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܥܠ ܪ̈ܟܫܐ ܘܫ̈ܠܝܛܢܐ ܕܡܗܠܟܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܥܠ ܐܪܥܐ | 7 I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on foot like slaves. |
| 8 ܕܚܦܪ ܓܘܡܨܐ ܒܗ ܢܦܠ ܘܕܬܪܥ ܣܝܓܐ ܢܟܬܝܘܗܝ ܚܘܝܐ | 8 He who digs a pit will fall into it; and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. |
| 9 ܕܡܫܢܐ ܟܐ̈ܦܐ ܢܬܟܐܒ ܒܗܝܢ ܘܕܡܨܠܚ ܩܝܣ̈ܐ ܠܐܐ ܒܗܘܢ | 9 He who quarries stones is hurt by them; and he who splits logs is endangered by them. |
| 10 ܐܢ ܩܗܐ ܦܪܙܠܐ ܘܗܘ ܐ̈ܦܐ ܕܠܚ ܘܩ̈ܛܝܠܐ ܡܣܓܐ ܘܝܘܬܪܢܐ ܠܟܫܝܪ̈ܐ ܚܟܡܬܐ | 10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not whet the edge, he must put forth more strength; but wisdom helps one to succeed. |
| 11 ܘܐܢ ܢܟܬ ܚܘܝܐ ܕܠܐ ܠܘܚܫܬܐ ܠܝܬ ܝܘܬܪܢ ܒܠܚܘܫܐ | 11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in a charmer. |
| 12 ܡ̈ܠܝ ܦܘܡܗ ܕܚܟܝܡܐ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܘܣ̈ܦܘܬܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܡܛܒ̈ܥܢ ܠܗ | 12 The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. |
| 13 ܪܝܫ ܡ̈ܠܝ ܦܘܡܗ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܘܚܪܬܐ ܕܦܘܡܗ ܦܘܪܣܝܐ ܒܝܫܐ | 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is wicked madness. |
| 14 ܘܣܟܠܐ ܡܣܓܐ ܡ̈ܠܝܢ ܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܡܐ ܕܗܘܐ ܘܡܐ ܕܢܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܒܬܪܗ ܡܢܘ ܡܚܘܐ ܠܗ | 14 A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? |
| 15 ܥܡܠܗܘܢ ܕܣ̈ܟܠܐ ܡܠܐܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥܘ ܠܡܐܙܠ ܠܡܕܝܢܬܐ | 15 The toil of a fool wearies him, so that he does not know the way to the city. |
| 16 ܘܝ ܠܟܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܡܠܟܟܝ ܛܠܐ ܘܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܝܟܝ ܒܨܦܪܐ ܐܟܠܝܢ | 16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! |
| 17 ܛܘܒܝܟܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܡܠܟܟܝ ܒܪ ܚܐܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܝܟܝ ܒܥܕܢܗܘܢ ܐܟܠܝܢ ܒܟܫܝܪܘܬܐ ܘܠܐ ܒܡܫܬܝܐ | 17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of free men, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! |
| 18 ܒܫܦܠܘܬܐ ܢܬܡܟܟ ܬܛܠܝܠܐ ܘܒܫܦܠܘܬ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ ܢܕܠܦ ܒܝܬܐ | 18 Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. |
| 19 ܠܚܕܘܬܐ ܥܒܝܕܝܢ ܠܚܡܐ ܘܚܡܪܐ ܘܡܫܚܐ ܕܢܚܕܘܢ ܠܚ̈ܝܐ ܘܟܣܦܐ ܡܡܟܟ ܘܡܛܥܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܟܠ | 19 Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers 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 thought, do not curse the king, nor in your bedchamber curse the rich; for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter. |
