| 1 ܣܪ̈ܝܩܝܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܢܝܢܫ̈ܐ ܕܠܐܠܗܐ ܠܐ ܝܕܥܝܢ ܘܐܢ ܡܢ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ ܡܕܡ ܕܡܬܚܙܐ ܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܕܢܦܚܡܘܢ ܡܕܡ ܕܗܘܐ ܘܠܐ ܚܪܘ ܒܥ̈ܒܕܐ ܘܠܐ ܐܝܕܥܘ ܠܐܘܡܢܗܘܢ | 1 For all men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan; |
| 2 ܐܘ ܠܢܘܪܐ ܐܘ ܠܪܘܚܐ ܐܘ ܠܐܐܪ ܩܠܝܠܐ ܐܘ ܠܗ̈ܘܦܟܝܗܘܢ ܕܟ̈ܘܟܒܐ ܐܘ ܠܪܕܝܗܘܢ ܕܡ̈ܝܐ ܐܘ ܠܢܗܝܪ̈ܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ ܐܘ ܠܬܘܩܢܗ ܕܥܠܡܐ ܘܣܒܪܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܕܐ̈ܠܗܐ ܐܢܘܢ | 2 But either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods. |
| 3 ܐܢ ܡܛܠ ܫܘܦܪܗܘܢ ܣܒܪܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܕܐ̈ܠܗܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܚܕ ܟܡܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܛܒ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܒܪܐ ܫܘܦܪܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܗܠܝܢ | 3 Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them. |
| 4 ܘܐܢ ܡܛܠ ܚܝܠܗܘܢ ܘܬܡܝܗܘܬܗܘܢ ܕܚܠܘ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܡܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܢܕܥܘܢ ܕܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܛܒ ܗܘ ܡܢܗܘܢ | 4 Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them. |
| 5 ܕܡܢ ܪܒܘܬܐ ܕܫܘܦܪܗ ܐܬܒܪܝܘ ܗܢܐ ܕܒܪܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܡܬܚܙܐ ܓܠܝܐܝܬ | 5 For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen. |
| 6 ܘܥܠ ܗܠܝܢ ܪܘܓܙܐ ܩܠܝܠܐ ܢܐܬܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܟܒܪ ܛܥܘ ܘܒܥܘ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܘܕܢܫܟܚܘܢ ܐܝܕܥܬܐ | 6 But yet, for these the blame is less; For they indeed have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find him. |
| 7 ܘܒܥܒ̈ܕܘܗܝ ܗܘܘ ܡܬܗܦܟܝܢ ܘܡܬܚܒܠܝܢ ܘܡܒܚܢܝܢ ܘܒܐ̈ܦܐ ܐܬܛܦܝܣܘ ܕܫܦܝܪ ܡܕܡ ܕܡܬܚܙܐ | 7 For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair. |
| 8 ܘܬܘܒ ܠܐ ܫܒܩ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܕܝܢܐ | 8 But again, not even these are pardonable. |
| 9 ܘܐܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܠܡܕܥ ܘܐܫܟܚܘ ܘܦܚܡܘ ܠܥܠܡܐ ܒܩܝܡܗ ܠܡܪܐ ܕܟܠܗ ܥܒܕܐ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܠܐ ܝܕܥܘ ܘܐܫܟܚܘܗܝ | 9 For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its LORD? |
| 10 ܕܘܝܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܘܒܡ̈ܝܬܐ ܗܘ ܣܒܪܗܘܢ ܗܢܘܢ ܕܩܪܘ ܠܥܒܕ ܐܝ̈ܕܝܐ ܕܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܢܫܐ ܕܐ̈ܠܗܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܕܗܒܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܘܟܣܦܐ ܘܥܒܕܐ ܕܝܘܠܦܢܐ ܘܕܡ̈ܘܬܐ ܕܚ̈ܝܘܬܐ ܘܟܐܦܐ ܕܡܣܠܝܐ ܥܒܕ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ ܕܩܝܡܐ | 10 But doomed are they, and in dead things are their hopes, who termed gods things made by human hands: Gold and silver, the product of art, and likenesses of beasts, or useless stone, the work of an ancient hand. |
| 11 ܐܘ ܩܝܣܐ ܡܢ ܥܒܐ ܢܓܪܐ ܚܦܝܛܐܝܬ ܦܣܩ ܐܝܠܢܐ ܕܫܦܝܪ ܡܬܬܙܝܥ ܕܢܨܝܒ ܘܓܠܦܗ ܠܗ ܒܐܘܡܢܘܬܐ ܡܢ ܟܠ ܚܕܪ̈ܘܗܝ ܘܗܝܡܢܗ ܘܓܠܦܗ ܘܒܫܪܪܐ ܬܩܢܗ ܥܒܕܐ ܫܦܝܪܐ ܠܬܫܡܫܬܐ ܕܚ̈ܝܐ | 11 A carpenter may saw out a suitable tree and skillfully scrape off all its bark, And deftly plying his art, produce something fit for daily use, |
| 12 ܘܡܕܡ ܕܡܫܦܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢܗ ܠܚܘܫܚܐ ܕܡܐܟܘܠܬܐ ܢܦܩܗ ܘܐܬܡܠܝ ܘܡܕܡ ܕܚܣܝܪ ܒܗ ܡܢܗ ܡܡܠܐ ܗܘܐ | 12 and use up the refuse from his handiwork in preparing his food, and have his fill; |
| 13 ܘܡܕܡ ܕܡܫܬܕܐ ܡܢܗ ܠܡܕܡ ܠܐ ܟܫܪ ܘܥܒܕ ܡܢ ܠܒܗ ܡܐܢܐ ܕܡܬܩܢ ܠܛܡܐܘܬܐ ܐܝܠܢܐ ܗܘ ܩܫܝܐ ܕܢܨܝܒ ܥܠ ܡ̈ܝܐ ܘܩܐܡ ܘܢܣܒܗ ܘܥܒܕܗ ܒܚܦܝܛܘܬܐ ܕܥܒܕܗ ܘܒܝܘܡܐ ܕܦܣܝܩ ܗܘܐ ܪܫܡܗ ܘܕܡܝܗ ܠܨܠܡܐ ܕܒܪܢܫܐ | 13 Then the good-for-nothing refuse from these remnants, crooked wood grown full of knots, he takes and carves to occupy his spare time. This wood he models with listless skill, and patterns it on the image of a man |
| 14 ܐܘ ܠܚܝܘܬܐ ܫܦܝܪܬܐ ܕܡܝܗ ܒܣ̈ܡܡܢܐ ܡܫܚܗ ܘܒܣܩܪܬܐ ܣܩܪܗ ܘܬܩܢܗ ܒܟܠܗ̇ ܝܐܝܘܬܐ ܕܥܠ ܐܪܥܐ | 14 or makes it resemble some worthless beast. When he has daubed it with red and crimsoned its surface with red stain, and daubed over every blemish in it, |
| 15 ܘܥܒܕ ܠܗ ܕܘܟܬܐ ܐܟܘܬܗ ܘܒܐܣܬܐ ܣܡܗ ܘܒܨ̈ܨܐ ܫܪܪܗ | 15 He makes a fitting shrine for it and puts it on the wall, fastening it with a nail. |
| 16 ܘܝܨܦ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܕܢܩܘܡ ܘܠܐ ܢܦܠ ܡܛܠ ܕܝܕܥ ܕܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܚܫܚܘ ܕܢܥܕܪ ܢܦܫܗ ܡܛܠ ܕܨܠܡܐ ܗܘ ܘܡܬܒܥܐ ܠܗ ܡܥܕܪܢܐ | 16 Thus lest it fall down he provides for it, knowing that it cannot help itself; for, truly, it is an image and needs help. |
| 17 ܘܥܠ ܚܘܫܒܢ ܩ̈ܢܝܢܐ ܘܡܫܬ̈ܘܬܐ ܘܒ̈ܢܝܐ ܡܨܠܝܢ ܠܗ ܘܠܐ ܒܗܬ ܕܡܡܠܠ ܥܡ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܢܦܫܐ ܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܘܒܥܐ ܡܢ ܟܪܝܗܐ ܕܢܚܠܡܝܘܗܝ ܘܢܐܣܝܘܗܝ | 17 But when he prays about his goods or marriage or children, he is not ashamed to address the thing without a soul. And for vigor he invokes the powerless; |
| 18 ܘܥܠ ܚܝܐ ܡܢ ܡܝܬܐ ܒܥܐ ܕܢܚܝܘܗܝ ܘܡܬܚܢܢ ܡܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܠܡܛܐܒܘ ܠܗ ܘܡܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܠܐ ܡܨܐ ܠܡܗܠܟܘ ܒܥܐ ܕܢܬܪܘܨ ܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܗ | 18 and for life he entreats the dead; And for aid he beseeches the wholly incompetent, and about travel, something that cannot even walk. |
| 19 ܘܥܠ ܨܒ̈ܘܬܐ ܕܬܐܓܘܪܬܐ ܕܥܒܕ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ ܒܥܐ ܡܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܚܫܚܘ | 19 And for profit in business and success with his hands he asks facility of a thing with hands completely inert. |
