| 1 ܘܗܦܟܬ ܐܢܐ ܘܚܙܝܬ ܝܬ ܟܠ ܛܠܘ̈ܡܝܐ ܕܡܬܥܒܕܝܢ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܗܐ ܕܡ̈ܥܐ ܕܛܠܝܡ̈ܐ ܘܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܡܒܝܐܢܐ ܡܢ ܐܝܕܐ ܕܛܠܘܡ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܚܝܠܐ ܘܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܡܥܕܪܢܐ | 1 I turned myself to other things, and I saw the false accusations which are carried out under the sun, and the tears of the innocent, and that there was no one to console them; and that they were not able to withstand their violence, being destitute of all help. |
| 2 ܘܫܒܚܬ ܐܢܐ ܠܡ̈ܝܬܐ ܕܟܒܪ ܡܝܬܘ ܡܢ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܚܝ̈ܝܢ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܗܫܐ | 2 And so, I praised the dead more than the living. |
| 3 ܛܒ ܕܝܢ ܡܢ ܬܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܥܕܟܝܠ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܚܙܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܒܝܫܐ ܕܐܬܥܒܕ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ | 3 And happier than both of these, I judged him to be, who has not yet been born, and who has not yet seen the evils which are done under the sun. |
| 4 ܘܚܙܝܬ ܐܢܐ ܟܠ ܥܡ̈ܠܐ ܘܟܠ ܟܫܪ̈ܐ ܕܥܒܕܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܛܢܢܗ ܕܓܒܪܐ ܡܢ ܚܒܪܗ ܘܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܗܘ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ | 4 Again, I was contemplating all the labors of men. And I took notice that their endeavors are open to the envy of their neighbor. And so, in this, too, there is emptiness and superfluous anxiety. |
| 5 ܣܟܠܐ ܡܥܦܩ ܐ̈ܝܕܘܗܝ ܘܐܟܠ ܒܣܪܗ | 5 The foolish man folds his hands together, and he consumes his own flesh, saying: |
| 6 ܛܒ ܡܠܐ ܫܘܥܠܐ ܢܝܚܐ ܡܢ ܡܠܐ ܚ̈ܘܦܢܐ ܥܡܠܐ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ | 6 “A handful with rest is better than both hands filled with labors and with affliction of the soul.” |
| 7 ܘܗܦܟܬ ܐܢܐ ܘܚܙܝܬ ܗܒܠܐ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ | 7 While considering this, I also discovered another vanity under the sun. |
| 8 ܐܝܬ ܚܕ ܘܠܝܬ ܬܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܐܦ ܒܪܐ ܘܐܚܐ ܠܝܬ ܠܗ ܘܠܝܬ ܣܘܦ ܠܟܠ ܥܡܠܗ ܘܐܦ ܥܝܢܗ ܠܐ ܣܒܥܐ ܥܘܬܪܐ ܘܠܡܢ ܐܢܐ ܥܡܠ ܘܡܚܣܪ ܢܦܫܝ ܡܢ ܛܒܬܐ ܘܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܗܘ ܘܥܢܝܢܐ ܒܝܫܐ | 8 He is one, and he does not have a second: no son, no brother. And yet he does not cease to labor, nor are his eyes satisfied with wealth, nor does he reflect, saying: “For whom do I labor and cheat my soul of good things?” In this, too, is emptiness and a most burdensome affliction. |
| 9 ܛܒܝ̈ܢ ܬܪ̈ܝܢ ܡܢ ܚܕ ܕܐܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܐܓܪܐ ܛܒܐ ܒܥܡܠܗܘܢ | 9 Therefore, it is better for two to be together, than for one to be alone. For they have the advantage of their companionship. |
| 10 ܕܐܢ ܢܦܠ ܚܕ ܡܩܝܡ ܠܗ ܚܒܪܗ ܘܝ ܠܗ ܠܚܕ ܕܐܢ ܢܦܠ ܠܝܬ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܢܩܝܡܝܘܗܝ | 10 If one falls, he shall be supported by the other. Woe to one who is alone. For when he falls, he has no one to lift him up. |
| 11 ܘܐܢ ܢܫܟܒܘܢ ܬܪ̈ܝܢ ܢܫܚܢܘܢ ܘܚܕ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܢܫܚܢ | 11 And if two are sleeping, they warm one another. How can one person alone be warmed? |
| 12 ܘܐܢ ܢܥܫܢ ܚܕ ܬܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܢܩܘܡܘܢ ܠܩܘܒܠܗ ܘܚܘܛܐ ܕܬܠܬܐ ܠܐ ܥܓܠ ܡܬܦܣܩ | 12 And if a man can prevail against one, two may withstand him, and a threefold cord is broken with difficulty. |
| 13 ܛܒ ܛܠܝܐ ܕܡܣܟܝܢ ܘܚܟܝܡ ܡܢ ܡܠܟܐ ܣܒܐ ܕܣܟܠ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܠܡܙܕܗܪܘ ܬܘܒ | 13 Better is a boy, poor and wise, than a king, old and foolish, who does not know to look ahead for the sake of posterity. |
| 14 ܡܛܠ ܕܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܐܣܝܪ̈ܐ ܢܦܩ ܠܡܡܠܟܘ ܡܛܠ ܕܐܦ ܒܡܠܟܘܬܗ ܐܬܝܠܕ ܡܣܟܝܢ | 14 For sometimes, one goes forth from prison and chains, to a kingdom, while another, born to kingly power, is consumed by need. |
| 15 ܘܚܙܝܬ ܟܘܠ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܕܡܗܠܟܝܢ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܥܡ ܥܠܝܡܐ ܬܢܝܢܐ ܕܢܩܘܡ ܚܠܦܘܗܝ | 15 I saw all the living who are walking under the sun, and I saw the next generation, who shall rise up in their places. |
| 16 ܘܠܝܬ ܣܘܦ ܠܟܠ ܥܡܐ ܠܟܠܗܘܢ ܕܗܘܘ ܩܕܡܘܗܝ ܘܐܦ ܐܚܪ̈ܝܐ ܠܐ ܢܚܕܘܢ ܒܗ ܡܛܠ ܕܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ | 16 The number of people, out of all who existed before these, is boundless. And those who will exist afterwards shall not rejoice in them. But this, too, is emptiness and an affliction of the spirit. |
| 17 ܛܪ ܪܓܠܟ ܡܐ ܕܐܙܠ ܐܢܬ ܠܒܝܬ ܐܠܗܐ ܘܩܪܘܒ ܠܡܫܡܥ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܡܘܗ̈ܒܬܐ ܕܕܒܚ̈ܐ ܕܣܟ̈ܠܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥܝܢ ܠܡܥܒܕ ܕܛܒ | 17 Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing. |
