| 1 ܛܒ ܫܡܐ ܡܢ ܡܫܚܐ ܛܒܐ ܘܝܘܡܐ ܕܡܘܬܐ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܝܘܡܐ ܕܐܝܠܝܕܘܬܐ | 1 Why is it necessary for a man to seek things that are greater than himself, when he does not know what is advantageous for himself in his life, during the number of the days of his sojourn, and while time passes by like a shadow? Or who will be able to tell him what will be in the future after him under the sun? |
| 2 ܛܒ ܠܡܐܙܠ ܠܒܝܬ ܒ̈ܟܐ ܡܢ ܕܠܡܐܙܠ ܠܒܝܬ ܡܫܬܘܬܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܗܕܐ ܗܝ ܚܪܬܐ ܕܟܠܗܘܢ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܢܫܐ ܘܕܚܝ ܝܗܒ ܛܒܬܐ ܠܠܒܗ | 2 A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth. |
| 3 ܛܒ ܪܘܓܙܐ ܡܢ ܓܘܚܟܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܒܒܝܫܘܬ ܐ̈ܦܐ ܢܛܐܒ ܠܒܐ | 3 It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future. |
| 4 ܠܒܐ ܕܚ̈ܟܝܡܐ ܒܒܝܬ ܐܒܠܐ ܘܠܒܐ ܕܣܟ̈ܠܐ ܒܝܬ ܚܕܘܬܐ | 4 Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected. |
| 5 ܛܒ ܠܡܫܡܥ ܟܐܬܐ ܕܚ̈ܟܝܡܐ ܡܢ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܫܡܥ ܙܡܪܐ ܕܣ̈ܟܠܐ | 5 The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing. |
| 6 ܡܛܘܠ ܕܐܝܟ ܩܠܐ ܕܟܘ̈ܒܐ ܬܚܝܬ ܩܕܣܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܓܘܚܟܗܘܢ ܕܣ̈ܟܠܐ ܘܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ | 6 It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish. |
| 7 ܡܛܘܠ ܕܥܫܘܩܝܐ ܡܘܒܕ ܠܚܟܝܡܐ ܘܡܘܒܕܐ ܠܠܒܐ ܡܘܗܒܬܐ | 7 For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness. |
| 8 ܛܒܐ ܗܝ ܐܚܪܝܬܗ ܕܦܬܓܡܐ ܡܢ ܩܕܡܝܬܗ ܘܛܒܐ ܗܝ ܢܓܝܪܘܬ ܪܘܚܐ ܡܢ ܪܡܘܬ ܪܘܚܐ | 8 A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart. |
| 9 ܠܐ ܬܣܬܪܗܒ ܒܪܘܚܟ ܠܡܪܓܙ ܡܛܠ ܕܪܘܓܙܐ ܒܥܘܒܐ ܕܣ̈ܟܠܐ ܢܬܬܢܝܚ | 9 The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance. |
| 10 ܠܐ ܬܐܡܪ ܡܢܐ ܗܘܐ ܕܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܩܕܡ̈ܝܐ ܛܒ̈ܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܡܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܒܚܟܡܬܐ ܫܐܠ ܐܢܬ ܥܠ ܗܠܝܢ | 10 Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish. |
| 11 ܛܒܐ ܗܝ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܡܢ ܡܐ̈ܢܝ ܙܝܢܐ ܘܝܬܝܪ ܠܚ̈ܙܝܝ ܫܡܫܐ | 11 You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish. |
| 12 ܡܛܠ ܕܛܠܠܐ ܕܚܟܡܬܐ ܐܝܟ ܛܠܠܐ ܕܟܣܦܐ ܘܝܬܝܪܘܬܐ ܕܐܝܕܥܬܐ ܕܚܟܡܬܐ ܬܚܐ ܡܪܗ̇ | 12 Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun. |
| 13 ܚܙܝ ܥ̇ܒܕܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܡ̇ܢ ܗܘ ܡܫܟܚ ܠܡܬܩܢܘ ܠܡ̇ܢ ܕܡܕܘܕ ܗܘ | 13 For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them. |
| 14 ܒܝܘܡܐ ܕܛܒܬܐ ܗܘܝ ܒܛܒ ܘܒܝܘܡܐ ܕܒܝܫܬܐ ܚܙܝ ܢܦܫܟ ܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܠܘܩܒܠ ܗܢܐ ܥܒܕ ܐܠܗܐ ܥܠ ܡܡܠܠܐ ܕܠܐ ܢܫܟܚ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܡܕܡ ܒܬܪܗ | 14 Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised. |
| 15 ܟܠ ܡܕܡ ܚܙܝܬ ܒܝ̈ܘܡܝ ܗܒܠܝ ܐܝܬ ܙܕܝܩܐ ܕܐܒܕ ܒܙܕܝܩܘܬܗ ܘܐܝܬ ܪܫܝܥܐ ܕܐܓܪ ܒܒܝܫ̈ܬܗ | 15 In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has establish the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him. |
| 16 ܠܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܙܕܝܩ ܣܓܝ ܘܠܐ ܬܬܚܟܡ ܝܬܝܪ ܕܠܐ ܬܬܡܗ | 16 I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice. |
| 17 ܠܐ ܬܪܫܥ ܣܓܝ ܕܠܐ ܬܣܬܢܐ ܣܓܝ ܠܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܣܟܠ ܕܠܡܐ ܬܡܘܬ ܕܠܐ ܒܙܒܢܟ | 17 Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid. |
| 18 ܛܒ ܕܬܐܚܘܕ ܒܗܢܐ ܘܐܦ ܡܢ ܗܢܐ ܠܐ ܬܪܦܐ ܐܝܕܟ ܡܛܠ ܕܡ̇ܢ ܕܕܚܠ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܢܩܦ ܠܟܠܗܝܢ | 18 Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time. |
| 19 ܚܟܡܬܐ ܡܥܫܢܐ ܠܚ̈ܟܝܡܐ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܥܣܪ̈ܐ ܫ̈ܠܝܛܢܝܢ ܕܐܝܬ ܒܡܕܝܢܬܐ | 19 It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing. |
| 20 ܡܛܠ ܕܠܝܬ ܐܢܫ ܕܙܕܝܩ ܒܐܪܥܐ ܕܢܥܒܕ ܕܛܒ ܘܠܐ ܢܚܛܐ | 20 Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city. |
| 21 ܘܐܦ ܠܟܘܠ ܦܬܓܡ̈ܝܢ ܕܢܡܠܠܘܢ ܪ̈ܫܝܥܐ ܠܐ ܬܬܠ ܠܒܟ ܠܐ ܬܫܡܥ ܠܥܒܕܟ ܕܡܨܚܐ ܠܟ | 21 But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin. |
| 22 ܡܛܠ ܕܙܒܢܝܢ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܢ ܝܕܥ ܠܒܟ ܕܐܦ ܐܢܬ ܨܚܝܬ ܠܐܚܪ̈ܢܝܢ | 22 So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you. |
| 23 ܟܠܗܝܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܢܣܝܬ ܒܚܟܡܬܐ ܐܡܪܬ ܕܐܬܚܟܡ ܘܗܝ ܪܚܝܩܐ ܗܝ ܡܢܝ | 23 For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others. |
| 24 ܝܬܝܪ ܡܢ ܟܠ ܕܗܘܐ ܪܘܚܩܐ ܘܥܘܡܩܐ ܕܥ̈ܘܡܩܐ ܡ̇ܢ ܢܫܟܚܝܘܗܝ | 24 I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me, |
| 25 ܐܬܟܪܟܬ ܐܢܐ ܘܠܒܝ ܠܡܕܥ ܘܠܡܣܥܪ ܘܠܡܒܥܐ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܚܘܫܒܢܐ ܘܠܡܕܥ ܪܫܝܥܘܬܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܘܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܘܡܬܥܒܪܢܘܬܐ | 25 so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her? |
| 26 ܘܐܫܟܚܬ ܕܡܪܝܪ ܡܢ ܡܘܬܐ ܐܢܬܬܐ ܕܗܝ ܐܝܬܝܗ̇ ܦܚܐ ܘܡܨܝܕܬܐ ܠܒܗ̇ ܐܣܪܬ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܗ̇ ܡܢ ܕܛܒ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܛܒ ܩܕܡ ܐܠܗܐ ܡܫܬܘܙܒ ܡܢܗ̇ ܘܡ̇ܢ ܕܚܛܐ ܡܬܬܚܕ ܒܗ̇ | 26 I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent. |
| 27 ܚܙܝ ܗܢܐ ܕܐܫܟܚܬ ܐܡܪ ܩܘܗܠܬ ܚܕܐ ܠܚܕܐ ܠܡܫܟܚܘ ܡܚܫ̈ܒܬܐ | 27 And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her. |
| 28 ܘܬܘܒ ܒܥܬ ܢܦܫܝ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܬ ܐܢܫܐ ܚܕ ܡܢ ܐܠܦܐ ܐܫܟܚܬ ܘܐܢܬܬܐ ܒܟܠܗܝܢ ܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܬ | 28 Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation |
| 29 ܒܪܡ ܚܙܝ ܗܢܐ ܕܐܫܟܚܬ ܕܥܒܕ ܐܠܗܐ ܠܐܢܫܐ ܬܪ̈ܝܨܐ ܘܗܢܘܢ ܒܥܘ ܡܚܫ̈ܒܬܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܬܐ | 29 which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found. |
| 30 This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word? |
