| 1 ܣܪ̈ܝܩܝܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܢܝܢܫ̈ܐ ܕܠܐܠܗܐ ܠܐ ܝܕܥܝܢ ܘܐܢ ܡܢ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ ܡܕܡ ܕܡܬܚܙܐ ܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܕܢܦܚܡܘܢ ܡܕܡ ܕܗܘܐ ܘܠܐ ܚܪܘ ܒܥ̈ܒܕܐ ܘܠܐ ܐܝܕܥܘ ܠܐܘܡܢܗܘܢ | 1 Yes, natural y stupid are all who are unaware of God, and who, from good things seen, have not beenable to discover Him-who-is, or, by studying the works, have not recognised the Artificer. |
| 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 Fire, however, or wind, or the swift air, the sphere of the stars, impetuous water, heaven's lamps, arewhat they have held to be the gods who govern the world. |
| 3 ܐܢ ܡܛܠ ܫܘܦܪܗܘܢ ܣܒܪܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܕܐ̈ܠܗܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܚܕ ܟܡܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܛܒ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܒܪܐ ܫܘܦܪܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܗܠܝܢ | 3 If, charmed by their beauty, they have taken these for gods, let them know how much the Master ofthese excels them, since he was the very source of beauty that created them. |
| 4 ܘܐܢ ܡܛܠ ܚܝܠܗܘܢ ܘܬܡܝܗܘܬܗܘܢ ܕܚܠܘ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܡܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܢܕܥܘܢ ܕܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܛܒ ܗܘ ܡܢܗܘܢ | 4 And if they have been impressed by their power and energy, let them deduce from these how muchmightier is he that has formed them, |
| 5 ܕܡܢ ܪܒܘܬܐ ܕܫܘܦܪܗ ܐܬܒܪܝܘ ܗܢܐ ܕܒܪܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܡܬܚܙܐ ܓܠܝܐܝܬ | 5 since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author. |
| 6 ܘܥܠ ܗܠܝܢ ܪܘܓܙܐ ܩܠܝܠܐ ܢܐܬܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܟܒܪ ܛܥܘ ܘܒܥܘ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܘܕܢܫܟܚܘܢ ܐܝܕܥܬܐ | 6 Small blame, however, attaches to them, for perhaps they go astray only in their search for God andtheir eagerness to find him; |
| 7 ܘܒܥܒ̈ܕܘܗܝ ܗܘܘ ܡܬܗܦܟܝܢ ܘܡܬܚܒܠܝܢ ܘܡܒܚܢܝܢ ܘܒܐ̈ܦܐ ܐܬܛܦܝܣܘ ܕܫܦܝܪ ܡܕܡ ܕܡܬܚܙܐ | 7 familiar with his works, they investigate them and fal victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty. |
| 8 ܘܬܘܒ ܠܐ ܫܒܩ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܕܝܢܐ | 8 But even so, they have no excuse: |
| 9 ܘܐܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܠܡܕܥ ܘܐܫܟܚܘ ܘܦܚܡܘ ܠܥܠܡܐ ܒܩܝܡܗ ܠܡܪܐ ܕܟܠܗ ܥܒܕܐ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܠܐ ܝܕܥܘ ܘܐܫܟܚܘܗܝ | 9 if they are capable of acquiring enough knowledge to be able to investigate the world, how have theybeen so slow to find its Master? |
| 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 wretched are they, with their hopes set on dead things, who have given the title of gods to humanartefacts, gold or silver, skilfully worked, figures of animals, or useless stone, carved by some hand long ago. |
| 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 Take a woodcutter. He fel s a suitable tree, neatly strips off the bark al over and then with admirableskil works the wood into an object useful in daily life. |
| 12 ܘܡܕܡ ܕܡܫܦܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢܗ ܠܚܘܫܚܐ ܕܡܐܟܘܠܬܐ ܢܦܩܗ ܘܐܬܡܠܝ ܘܡܕܡ ܕܚܣܝܪ ܒܗ ܡܢܗ ܡܡܠܐ ܗܘܐ | 12 The bits left over from his work he uses for cooking his food, then eats his fil . |
| 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 There is stil a good-for-nothing bit left over, a gnarled and knotted bil et: he takes it and whittles itwith the concentration of his leisure hours, he shapes it with the skill of experience, he gives it a human shape |
| 14 ܐܘ ܠܚܝܘܬܐ ܫܦܝܪܬܐ ܕܡܝܗ ܒܣ̈ܡܡܢܐ ܡܫܚܗ ܘܒܣܩܪܬܐ ܣܩܪܗ ܘܬܩܢܗ ܒܟܠܗ̇ ܝܐܝܘܬܐ ܕܥܠ ܐܪܥܐ | 14 or perhaps he makes it into some vile animal, smears it with ochre, paints its surface red, coats overal its blemishes. |
| 15 ܘܥܒܕ ܠܗ ܕܘܟܬܐ ܐܟܘܬܗ ܘܒܐܣܬܐ ܣܡܗ ܘܒܨ̈ܨܐ ܫܪܪܗ | 15 He next makes a worthy home for it, lets it into the wal , fixes it with an iron clamp. |
| 16 ܘܝܨܦ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܕܢܩܘܡ ܘܠܐ ܢܦܠ ܡܛܠ ܕܝܕܥ ܕܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܚܫܚܘ ܕܢܥܕܪ ܢܦܫܗ ܡܛܠ ܕܨܠܡܐ ܗܘ ܘܡܬܒܥܐ ܠܗ ܡܥܕܪܢܐ | 16 Thus he makes sure that it will not fal down -- being wel aware that it cannot help itself, since it isonly an image, and needs to be helped. |
| 17 ܘܥܠ ܚܘܫܒܢ ܩ̈ܢܝܢܐ ܘܡܫܬ̈ܘܬܐ ܘܒ̈ܢܝܐ ܡܨܠܝܢ ܠܗ ܘܠܐ ܒܗܬ ܕܡܡܠܠ ܥܡ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܢܦܫܐ ܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܘܒܥܐ ܡܢ ܟܪܝܗܐ ܕܢܚܠܡܝܘܗܝ ܘܢܐܣܝܘܗܝ | 17 And yet, if he wishes to pray for his goods, for his marriage, for his children, he does not blush toharangue this lifeless thing -- for health, he invokes what is weak, |
| 18 ܘܥܠ ܚܝܐ ܡܢ ܡܝܬܐ ܒܥܐ ܕܢܚܝܘܗܝ ܘܡܬܚܢܢ ܡܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܠܡܛܐܒܘ ܠܗ ܘܡܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܠܐ ܡܨܐ ܠܡܗܠܟܘ ܒܥܐ ܕܢܬܪܘܨ ܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܗ | 18 for life, he pleads with what is dead, for help, he goes begging to total inexperience, for a journey,what cannot even use its feet, |
| 19 ܘܥܠ ܨܒ̈ܘܬܐ ܕܬܐܓܘܪܬܐ ܕܥܒܕ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ ܒܥܐ ܡܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܚܫܚܘ | 19 for profit, an undertaking, and success in pursuing his craft, he asks skil from something whosehands have no skil whatever. |
