| 1 ܛܒ ܗܘ ܕܠܐ ܒܢܝ̈ܢ ܒܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܚ̈ܝܐ ܓܝܪ ܗ̈ܘܝܢ ܒܕܘܟܪܢܗ̇ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܘܬ ܐܠܗܐ ܗܝ ܝܕܝܥܐ ܘܠܘܬ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܢܫܐ | 1 Better to have no children yet to have virtue, since immortality perpetuates its memory; for God andhuman beings both recognise it. |
| 2 ܟܕ ܩܝܡܐ ܡܬܕܡܝܢ ܠܗ̇ ܘܡܐ ܕܫܢܝܬ ܡܬܪܓܪܓܝܢ ܠܗ̇ ܘܒܥܠܡܐ ܗܢܐ ܬܨܒܝܬܐ ܘܟܠܝܠܐ ܠܒܝܫܐ ܘܡܬܚܘܝܐ ܗܝ ܕܙܟܬ ܐܓܘܢܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܕܕܠܐ ܡܘܡ ܐܢܘܢ | 2 Present, we imitate it, absent, we long for it; crowned, it holds triumph through eternity, having strivenfor untainted prizes and emerged the victor. |
| 3 ܣܘܓܐܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܝܠܕܐ ܕܪ̈ܫܝܥܐ ܠܝܬ ܒܗ ܚܫܚܘ ܘܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܡܢ ܙܪܥܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܢܘܟܪܝܐ ܠܐ ܢܬܠܘܢ ܥܩܪܐ ܒܥܘܡܩܐ ܘܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܩܝܡܐ ܫܪܝܪܐ | 3 But the offspring of the godless come to nothing, however prolific, sprung from a bastard stock, they willnever strike deep roots, never put down firm foundations. |
| 4 ܘܐܢ ܢܦܩܘܢ ܥܘܦܝܐ ܘܥ̈ܢܦܐ ܡܣܬ ܙܒܢܐ ܢܨܡܚܘܢ ܘܠܐ ܢܗܠܟܘܢ ܬܟܝܠܐܝܬ ܘܡܢ ܪܘܚܐ ܢܙܘܥܘܢ ܘܡܢ ܪܘܚܐ ܬܩܝܦܬܐ ܢܬܥܩܪܘܢ | 4 They may branch out for a time, but, on unsteady foundations, they will be rocked by the wind anduprooted by the force of the storm; |
| 5 ܘܢܬܬܒܪ̈ܢ ܥܢ̈ܦܝܗܘܢ ܠܣܘܦܐ ܘܦܐܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܡܚܒܠܝܢ ܘܠܡܐܟܘܠܬܐ ܠܐ ܟܫܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܠܡܕܡ ܠܐ ܐܙܠܝܢ | 5 their branches, yet unformed, wil be snapped off, their fruit be useless, too unripe to eat, fit for nothing. |
| 6 ܘܡܢ ܡܕܡܟܐ ܕܥܒܪ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܒ̈ܢܝܐ ܕܡܬܝܠܕܝܢ ܣܗ̈ܕܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܝܫ̈ܐ ܥܠ ܐ̈ܒܗܝܗܘܢ ܒܫܘܐܠܗܘܢ | 6 For children begotten of unlawful bed witness, when put on trial, to their parents' wickedness. |
| 7 ܙܕܝܩܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܢ ܡܣܪܗܒܐܝܬ ܢܡܘܬ ܒܢܝܚܐ ܢܗܘܐ ܘܐܢ ܒܢܓܝܪܘܬ ܝܘܡܬ̈ܐ ܢܡܘܬ ܒܐܝܩܪܐ ܢܫܬܟܚ | 7 The upright, though he die before his time, will find rest. |
| 8 ܣܝܒܘܬܐ ܘܐܝܩܪܐ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܣܓܝܐܘܬ ܙܒܢܐ ܐܦ ܠܐ ܡܢܝܢܐ ܕܫܢܝ̈ܗܘܢ ܒܟܝܠܬܐ | 8 Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; |
| 9 ܚܘܪ̈ܬܐ ܕܝܢ ܐܝܬܝܗܝܢ ܣܘܟܠܐ ܕܐܢܫܐ ܩܘܡܬܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܣܝܒܘܬܐ ܥܘܡܪܐ ܢܝܚܐ | 9 understanding, this is grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age. |
| 10 ܘܒܕܫܦܪ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܐܬܪܚܡ ܡܛܠ ܕܥܡܪ ܗܘܐ ܒܝܢܬ̈ ܚ̈ܛܝܐ ܫܢܝܗ | 10 Having won God's favour, he has been loved and, as he was living among sinners, has been takenaway. |
| 11 ܐܬܚܛܦ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܬܚܠܦ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܡܚܫܒܬܗ ܘܠܐ ܢܛܥܐ ܢܟܠܐ ܠܫܢܗ | 11 He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or deceitfulness seduce his soul; |
| 12 ܛܢܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܒܝܫܐ ܡܚܒܠ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ ܘܫܓܝܫܘܬܗ̇ ܕܪܓܬܐ ܣܪܚܐ ܪܥܝܢܐ ܛܒܐ | 12 for the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts asimple heart. |
| 13 ܕܐܫܬܟܠܠ ܩܠܝܠ ܡܠܐ ܙܒܢܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ | 13 Having come to perfection so soon, he has lived long; |
| 14 ܫܦܪܬ ܓܝܪ ܢܦܫܗ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܘܡܛܠ ܕܗܘܐ ܟܐܝܢ ܒܥܓܠ ܐܪܝܡܗ ܡܢ ܓܘܗ̇ ܕܒܝܫܬܐ ܥܡ̈ܡܐ ܕܝܢ ܚܙܘ ܘܠܐ ܐܣܬܟܠܘ ܘܠܐ ܣܡܘ ܒܪܥܝܢܗܘܢ ܕܡܛܠ ܡܢܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܕܝܢܗ | 14 his soul being pleasing to the Lord, he has hurried away from the wickedness around him. Yet peoplelook on, uncomprehending; and it does not enter their heads |
| 15 ܘܛܝܒܘܬܗ ܘܪ̈ܚܡܘܗܝ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܒܚܣ̈ܝܘܗܝ ܘܣܘܥܪܢܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܥܠ ܓܒ̈ܘܗܝ | 15 that grace and mercy await his chosen ones and that he intervenes on behalf of his holy ones. |
| 16 ܕܐܢ ܠܙܕܝܩ̈ܐ ܘܡܘܒܕ ܠܪ̈ܫܝܥܐ ܟܕ ܚܝܝ̈ܢ ܘܛ̈ܠܝܐ ܕܢܦܩܝܢ ܠܙܒܢܐ ܙܥܘܪܐ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܙܒܢܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܕܣ̈ܒܐ ܕܫܘܩܪܐ | 16 The upright who dies condemns the godless who survive, and youth quickly perfected condemns thelengthy old age of the wicked. |
| 17 ܢܚܙܘܢ ܓܝܪ ܡܘܬܗ ܕܙܕܝܩܐ ܘܠܐ ܢܣܬܟܠܘܢ ܕܡܢܐ ܐܬܡܠܟ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܐܠܗܐ ܘܠܡܢܐ ܐܙܕܗܪ ܒܗ ܡܪܝܐ | 17 These people see the end of the wise without understanding what the Lord has in store or why he hastaken such a one to safety; |
| 18 ܘܢܚܙܘܢ ܘܢܣܠܘܢܗ ܗܘ ܕܝܢ ܡܪܝܐ ܢܓܚܟ ܥܠܝܗܘܢ | 18 they look on and sneer, but the Lord wil laugh at them. |
| 19 ܘܡܢ ܒܬܪ ܗܠܝܢ ܢܗܘܘܢ ܠܡܦܘܠܬܐ ܕܨܥܪܐ ܘܒܝܬ ܡܝܬ̈ܐ ܠܩܠܠܐ ܕܠܥܠܡ ܡܛܠ ܕܢܒܙܥܘܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܡܣܪ̈ܐ ܕܠܐ ܩܠܐ ܘܢܙܥܙܥܘܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܡܢ ܫܬܐ̈ܣܝܗܘܢ ܘܥܕܡܐ ܠܐܚܪܝܬܐ ܢܒܘܪܘܢ ܘܢܗܘܘܢ ܠܚܒܠܐ ܘܕܘܟܪܢܗܘܢ ܢܐܒܕ | 19 Soon they wil be corpses without honour, objects of horror among the dead for ever. For he wilshatter them and fling them headlong and dumbfounded. He wil shake them from their foundations; they wil beutterly laid waste, a prey to grief, and their memory wil perish. |
| 20 ܘܢܥܘܠ ܠܡܚܫ̈ܒܬܐ ܕܣ̈ܟܠܘܬܗܘܢ ܢܟܠܐ ܘܬܟܣ ܐܢܘܢ ܥܝܢ ܒܓܠܐ ܡܣܛܝܢܘܬܗܘܢ | 20 When the count of their sins has been drawn up, in terror they wil come, and their crimes, confrontingthem, wil accuse them. |
