1
ܕܒ̈ܒܐ ܕܡܝܬܝܢ ܡܣܪܝܢ ܡܐܢܐ ܕܡܫܚܐ ܒܣܝܡܐ ܝܩܝܪܐ ܡܢ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܡܢ ܣܘܓܐܬ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܩܠܝܠ
dbb' dmythyn msryn m'n' dmshkh' bsym' yqyr' mn khkmth' wmn swg'th thshbwkhth' sklwth' qlyl
Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.
2
ܠܒܗ ܕܚܟܝܡܐ ܠܝܡܝܢܗ ܘܠܒܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܠܣܡܠܗ
lbh dkhkym' lymynh wlbh dskl' lsmlh
A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.
3
ܘܐܦ ܣܟܠܐ ܡܐ ܕܐܙܠ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܠܒܗ ܚܣܝܪ ܘܟܠ ܕܡܬܚܫܒ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܗܝ
w'p skl' m' d'zl b'wrkh' lbh khsyr wkl dmthkhshb sklwth' hy
Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
4
ܐܢ ܪܘܚܐ ܕܫܠܝܛܐ ܬܣܩ ܥܠܝܟ ܐܬܪܟ ܠܐ ܬܫܒܘܩ ܡܛܘܠ ܕܡܪܦܝܘܬܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܚ̈ܛܗܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ
'n rwkh' dshlyT' thsq elyk 'thrk l' thshbwq mTwl dmrpywth' ebd' khTh' sgy''
If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.
5
ܐܝܬ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܕܚܙܝܬ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܐܝܟ ܛܘܥܝܝ ܕܢܦܩܬ ܩܕܡ ܫܠܝܛܐ
'yth byshth' dkhzyth thkhyth shmsh' 'yk Tweyy dnpqth qdm shlyT'
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.
6
ܕܝܬܒ ܣܟܠܐ ܒܪܘܡܐ ܥܫܝܢܐ ܘܥܬܝܪ̈ܐ ܒܡܘܟܟܐ ܢܬܒܘܢ
dythb skl' brwm' eshyn' wethyr' bmwkk' nthbwn
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
7
ܚܙܝܬ ܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܥܠ ܪ̈ܟܫܐ ܘܫ̈ܠܝܛܢܐ ܕܡܗܠܟܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܥܠ ܐܪܥܐ
khzyth ebd' el rksh' wshlyTn' dmhlkyn 'yk ebd' el 're'
I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.
8
ܕܚܦܪ ܓܘܡܨܐ ܒܗ ܢܦܠ ܘܕܬܪܥ ܣܝܓܐ ܢܟܬܝܘܗܝ ܚܘܝܐ
dkhpr gwmts' bh npl wdthre syg' nkthywhy khwy'
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9
ܕܡܫܢܐ ܟܐ̈ܦܐ ܢܬܟܐܒ ܒܗܝܢ ܘܕܡܨܠܚ ܩܝܣ̈ܐ ܠܐܐ ܒܗܘܢ
dmshn' k'p' nthk'b bhyn wdmtslkh qys' l'' bhwn
Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it.
10
ܐܢ ܩܗܐ ܦܪܙܠܐ ܘܗܘ ܐ̈ܦܐ ܕܠܚ ܘܩ̈ܛܝܠܐ ܡܣܓܐ ܘܝܘܬܪܢܐ ܠܟܫܝܪ̈ܐ ܚܟܡܬܐ
'n qh' przl' whw 'p' dlkh wqTyl' msg' wywthrn' lkshyr' khkmth'
If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
11
ܘܐܢ ܢܟܬ ܚܘܝܐ ܕܠܐ ܠܘܚܫܬܐ ܠܝܬ ܝܘܬܪܢ ܒܠܚܘܫܐ
w'n nkth khwy' dl' lwkhshth' lyth ywthrn blkhwsh'
If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.
12
ܡ̈ܠܝ ܦܘܡܗ ܕܚܟܝܡܐ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܘܣ̈ܦܘܬܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܡܛܒ̈ܥܢ ܠܗ
mly pwmh dkhkym' thshbwkhth' wspwthh dskl' mTben lh
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.
13
ܪܝܫ ܡ̈ܠܝ ܦܘܡܗ ܣܟܠܘܬܐ ܘܚܪܬܐ ܕܦܘܡܗ ܦܘܪܣܝܐ ܒܝܫܐ
rysh mly pwmh sklwth' wkhrth' dpwmh pwrsy' bysh'
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14
ܘܣܟܠܐ ܡܣܓܐ ܡ̈ܠܝܢ ܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܡܐ ܕܗܘܐ ܘܡܐ ܕܢܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܒܬܪܗ ܡܢܘ ܡܚܘܐ ܠܗ
wskl' msg' mlyn l' yde brnsh' m' dhw' wm' dnhw' mn bthrh mnw mkhw' lh
A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
15
ܥܡܠܗܘܢ ܕܣ̈ܟܠܐ ܡܠܐܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥܘ ܠܡܐܙܠ ܠܡܕܝܢܬܐ
emlhwn dskl' ml'' lhwn mTl dl' ydew lm'zl lmdynth'
The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
16
ܘܝ ܠܟܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܡܠܟܟܝ ܛܠܐ ܘܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܝܟܝ ܒܨܦܪܐ ܐܟܠܝܢ
wy lky mdynth' dmlkky Tl' wrwrbnyky btspr' 'klyn
Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
17
ܛܘܒܝܟܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܡܠܟܟܝ ܒܪ ܚܐܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܪ̈ܘܪܒܢܝܟܝ ܒܥܕܢܗܘܢ ܐܟܠܝܢ ܒܟܫܝܪܘܬܐ ܘܠܐ ܒܡܫܬܝܐ
Twbyky mdynth' dmlkky br kh'ryn wrwrbnyky bednhwn 'klyn bkshyrwth' wl' bmshthy'
Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18
ܒܫܦܠܘܬܐ ܢܬܡܟܟ ܬܛܠܝܠܐ ܘܒܫܦܠܘܬ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ ܢܕܠܦ ܒܝܬܐ
bshplwth' nthmkk thTlyl' wbshplwth 'ydy' ndlp byth'
By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19
ܠܚܕܘܬܐ ܥܒܝܕܝܢ ܠܚܡܐ ܘܚܡܪܐ ܘܡܫܚܐ ܕܢܚܕܘܢ ܠܚ̈ܝܐ ܘܟܣܦܐ ܡܡܟܟ ܘܡܛܥܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܟܠ
lkhdwth' ebydyn lkhm' wkhmr' wmshkh' dnkhdwn lkhy' wksp' mmkk wmTe' lhwn bkl
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
20
ܘܐܦ ܒܡܕܥܟ ܠܡܠܟܐ ܠܐ ܬܨܚܐ ܘܒܩܝܛܘܢ ܡܫܟܒܟ ܠܐ ܬܨܚܐ ܠܥܬܝܪܐ ܡܛܘܠ ܕܥܘܦܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ ܢܘܒܠ ܩܠܟ ܘܡܪܐ ܥܘܦܐ ܢܚܘܐ ܦܬ̈ܓܡܝܟ
w'p bmdek lmlk' l' thtskh' wbqyTwn mshkbk l' thtskh' lethyr' mTwl dewp' dshmy' nwbl qlk wmr' ewp' nkhw' pthgmyk
Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.