| 1 ܣܪ̈ܝܩܝܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܢܝܢܫ̈ܐ ܕܠܐܠܗܐ ܠܐ ܝܕܥܝܢ ܘܐܢ ܡܢ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ ܡܕܡ ܕܡܬܚܙܐ ܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܕܢܦܚܡܘܢ ܡܕܡ ܕܗܘܐ ܘܠܐ ܚܪܘ ܒܥ̈ܒܕܐ ܘܠܐ ܐܝܕܥܘ ܠܐܘܡܢܗܘܢ | 1 But all men are vain, who are not under the knowledge of God, and who, from these good things that are seen, were not able to understand he who is, nor, by paying attention to the works, did they acknowledge he who was 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 Instead, they had considered either the fire, or the air, or the atmosphere, or the circle of stars, or the great sea, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule 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 they, being delighted by such sights, supposed them to be gods, let them know how great the Lord of them is in splendor. For he who created all things is the author of beauty. |
| 4 ܘܐܢ ܡܛܠ ܚܝܠܗܘܢ ܘܬܡܝܗܘܬܗܘܢ ܕܚܠܘ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܡܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܢܕܥܘܢ ܕܗ̇ܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܐܢܘܢ ܛܒ ܗܘ ܡܢܗܘܢ | 4 Or, if they wondered at their power and their effects, let them understand by these things, that he who created them is mightier than they are. |
| 5 ܕܡܢ ܪܒܘܬܐ ܕܫܘܦܪܗ ܐܬܒܪܝܘ ܗܢܐ ܕܒܪܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܡܬܚܙܐ ܓܠܝܐܝܬ | 5 For, by the greatness of the creation and its beauty, the creator of these will be able to be seen discernibly. |
| 6 ܘܥܠ ܗܠܝܢ ܪܘܓܙܐ ܩܠܝܠܐ ܢܐܬܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܟܒܪ ܛܥܘ ܘܒܥܘ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܘܕܢܫܟܚܘܢ ܐܝܕܥܬܐ | 6 Yet, up to this point, the complaint about this is lesser. For perhaps they made a mistake in this, while desiring and seeking to find God. |
| 7 ܘܒܥܒ̈ܕܘܗܝ ܗܘܘ ܡܬܗܦܟܝܢ ܘܡܬܚܒܠܝܢ ܘܡܒܚܢܝܢ ܘܒܐ̈ܦܐ ܐܬܛܦܝܣܘ ܕܫܦܝܪ ܡܕܡ ܕܡܬܚܙܐ | 7 And, indeed, having some familiarity with him through his works, they search, and they are persuaded, because the things that they are seeing are good. |
| 8 ܘܬܘܒ ܠܐ ܫܒܩ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܕܝܢܐ | 8 But, then again, neither can their debt be ignored. |
| 9 ܘܐܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܠܡܕܥ ܘܐܫܟܚܘ ܘܦܚܡܘ ܠܥܠܡܐ ܒܩܝܡܗ ܠܡܪܐ ܕܟܠܗ ܥܒܕܐ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܠܐ ܝܕܥܘ ܘܐܫܟܚܘܗܝ | 9 For, if they were able to know enough so that they could value the universe, how is it they did not easily discover the Lord of it? |
| 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 Yet they are unhappy, and their hope is among the dead, for they have called ‘gods’ the works of the hands of men, gold and silver, the inventions of skill, and the likeness of animals, or a 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 Or, it is as if a craftsman, a workman of the forest, had cut straight wood, and, with his expertise, shaved off all of its bark, and, with his skill, diligently fashioned a vessel, practical for use in life, |
| 12 ܘܡܕܡ ܕܡܫܦܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢܗ ܠܚܘܫܚܐ ܕܡܐܟܘܠܬܐ ܢܦܩܗ ܘܐܬܡܠܝ ܘܡܕܡ ܕܚܣܝܪ ܒܗ ܡܢܗ ܡܡܠܐ ܗܘܐ | 12 and even the remains of his work were exhausted in the preparation of food; |
| 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 and, from the remainder of this, which has become useful for nothing, a curved piece of wood and full of knots, he diligently carves it in his spare time, and, through the knowledge of his art, forms it and makes it in the image of a man, |
| 14 ܐܘ ܠܚܝܘܬܐ ܫܦܝܪܬܐ ܕܡܝܗ ܒܣ̈ܡܡܢܐ ܡܫܚܗ ܘܒܣܩܪܬܐ ܣܩܪܗ ܘܬܩܢܗ ܒܟܠܗ̇ ܝܐܝܘܬܐ ܕܥܠ ܐܪܥܐ | 14 or something comparable to an animal, thoroughly rubbing it with red ochre, to make it red with the color of the pigment, and to cover every imperfection which is in it; |
| 15 ܘܥܒܕ ܠܗ ܕܘܟܬܐ ܐܟܘܬܗ ܘܒܐܣܬܐ ܣܡܗ ܘܒܨ̈ܨܐ ܫܪܪܗ | 15 and it is as if he made a fitting resting place for it, even setting it in a wall and fastening it with iron, |
| 16 ܘܝܨܦ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܕܢܩܘܡ ܘܠܐ ܢܦܠ ܡܛܠ ܕܝܕܥ ܕܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܚܫܚܘ ܕܢܥܕܪ ܢܦܫܗ ܡܛܠ ܕܨܠܡܐ ܗܘ ܘܡܬܒܥܐ ܠܗ ܡܥܕܪܢܐ | 16 providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself, for it is an image and it is in need of help. |
| 17 ܘܥܠ ܚܘܫܒܢ ܩ̈ܢܝܢܐ ܘܡܫܬ̈ܘܬܐ ܘܒ̈ܢܝܐ ܡܨܠܝܢ ܠܗ ܘܠܐ ܒܗܬ ܕܡܡܠܠ ܥܡ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܢܦܫܐ ܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܘܒܥܐ ܡܢ ܟܪܝܗܐ ܕܢܚܠܡܝܘܗܝ ܘܢܐܣܝܘܗܝ | 17 And then, making an offering, he inquires about his wealth, and about his sons, and about marriage. And he is not ashamed to talk to that which has no soul. |
| 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 health, indeed, something unhealthy is being prayed to, and for life, he petitions what is dead, and for help, he calls upon something helpless, |
| 19 ܘܥܠ ܨܒ̈ܘܬܐ ܕܬܐܓܘܪܬܐ ܕܥܒܕ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ ܒܥܐ ܡܢ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܚܫܚܘ | 19 and for a good journey, he entreats that which is unable to walk, and for acquiring, and for working, and for success in all things, he entreats that which is useless in all things. |
