1
ܘܥܗܕ ܠܒܪܝܟ ܒܝ̈ܘܡܝ ܥܠܝܡܘܬܟ ܥܕܠܐ ܢܐܬܘܢ ܝܘ̈ܡܝ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܘܢܩܪ̈ܒܢ ܫ̈ܢܝܐ ܕܬܐܡܪ ܕܠܝܬ ܠܝ ܒܗܝܢ ܨܒܝܢܝ
wehd lbryk bywmy elymwthk edl' n'thwn ywmy byshth' wnqrbn shny' dth'mr dlyth ly bhyn tsbyny
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”
2
ܥܕܠܐ ܢܚܫܟ ܫܡܫܐ ܘܢܘܗܪܐ ܕܣܗܪܐ ܘܟܘܟ̈ܒܐ ܘܢܬܗ̈ܦܟܢ ܥܢ̈ܢܐ ܒܬܪ ܡܛܪܐ
edl' nkhshk shmsh' wnwhr' dshr' wkwkb' wnthhpkn enn' bthr mTr'
Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
3
ܒܝܘܡܐ ܕܢܬܙܝܥܘܢ ܢܛܘܪ̈ܝ ܒܝܬܐ ܘܢܬܕܘܕܘܢ ܡܪ̈ܝ ܚܝܠܐ ܘܢܬܒ̈ܛܠܢ ܛܚ̈ܢܬܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܙܥܪ ܘܢܚ̈ܫܟܢ ܚ̈ܙܝܬܐ ܒ̈ܟܘܐ
bywm' dnthzyewn nTwry byth' wnthdwdwn mry khyl' wnthbTln Tkhnth' mTl dzer wnkhshkn khzyth' bkw'
in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
4
ܘܢܬܬܚܕܘܢ ܬܪ̈ܥܐ ܒܫ̈ܘܩܐ ܒܫܦܠܘܬܐ ܕܩܠܐ ܕܛܚ̈ܢܬܐ ܘܢܩܘܡ ܠܩܠܐ ܕܨܦܪܐ ܘܢܬܡ̈ܟܟܢ ܟܠ ܒܢ̈ܬ ܫܘܒܚܐ
wnththkhdwn thre' bshwq' bshplwth' dql' dTkhnth' wnqwm lql' dtspr' wnthmkkn kl bnth shwbkh'
and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5
ܘܐܦ ܡܢ ܪܘܡܐ ܢܕܚܠ ܘܢܬܙܝܥ ܒܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܗ ܘܢܒܥ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܫܗܪܐ ܘܢܦܪܥ ܫܪܕܐ ܘܢܣܓܐ ܩܡܨܐ ܘܬܬܒܕܪ ܩܦܪ ܘܬܒܛܠ ܒܝܫܢܘܬܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܐܙܠ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܠܒܝܬ ܥܡܠܗ ܘܐܬܟܪܟܘ ܒܫܘ̈ܩܐ ܡܪ̈ܩܕܢܐ
w'p mn rwm' ndkhl wnthzye b'wrkhthh wnbe elwhy shhr' wnpre shrd' wnsg' qmts' wththbdr qpr wthbTl byshnwth' mTl d'zl brnsh' lbyth emlh w'thkrkw bshwq' mrqdn'
yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be on the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets;
6
ܥܕܠܐ ܢܬܦܣܩ ܚܒܠ ܟܣܦܐ ܘܢܫܬܚܩ ܚܙܘܪ ܕܗܒܐ ܘܬܬܒܪ ܩܘܠܬܐ ܥܠ ܡܒܘܥܐ ܘܬܪܗܛ ܓܝܓܠܐ ܥܠ ܒܪܐ
edl' nthpsq khbl ksp' wnshthkhq khzwr dhb' wththbr qwlth' el mbwe' wthrhT gygl' el br'
before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
7
ܘܢܗܦܘܟ ܥܦܪܐ ܠܐܪܥܐ ܐܝܟ ܕܗܘܐ ܘܪܘܚܐ ܬܗܦܘܟ ܠܘܬ ܡܪܝܐ ܕܝܗܒܗ̇
wnhpwk epr' l're' 'yk dhw' wrwkh' thhpwk lwth mry' dyhbh
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8
ܗܒܠ ܗ̈ܒܠܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܩܘܗܠܬ ܗܒܠ ܗ̈ܒܠܝܢ ܟܠ ܡܕܡ ܗܒܠܐ
hbl hblyn 'mr qwhlth hbl hblyn kl mdm hbl'
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”
9
ܘܝܬܝܪ ܕܗܘܐ ܩܘܗܠܬ ܚܟܝܡܐ ܕܡܠܦ ܗܘܐ ܐܝܕܥܬܐ ܠܥܡܐ ܘܨܬ ܘܒܕܩ ܘܐܬܩܢ ܡ̈ܬܠܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ
wythyr dhw' qwhlth khkym' dmlp hw' 'ydeth' lem' wtsth wbdq w'thqn mthl' sgy''
Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10
ܣܓܝ ܒܥܐ ܩܘܗܠܬ ܠܡܫܟܚܘ ܦܬ̈ܓܡܐ ܕܨܒܝܢܐ ܘܟܬܒ ܫܪܪܐ ܦܬ̈ܓܡܝ ܩܘܫܬܐ
sgy be' qwhlth lmshkkhw pthgm' dtsbyn' wkthb shrr' pthgmy qwshth'
The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.
11
ܡ̈ܠܝ ܚ̈ܟܝܡܐ ܐܝܟ ܙܩ̈ܘܬܐ ܘܐܝܟ ܣ̈ܟܐ ܕܩܒ̈ܝܥܢ ܡܪ̈ܝ ܐܣ̈ܟܦܬܐ ܐܬܝܗܒܘ ܡܢ ܪܥܝܐ ܚܕ
mly khkym' 'yk zqwth' w'yk sk' dqbyen mry 'skpth' 'thyhbw mn rey' khd
The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12
ܘܝܬܝܪܐܝܬ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܒܪܝ ܐܙܕܗܪ ܠܡܟܬܒ ܣܦܪ̈ܐ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ ܠܝܬ ܣܘܦ ܘܡܡܠܠܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܠܐܘܬܐ ܗܝ ܕܒܣܪܐ
wythyr'yth mnhwn bry 'zdhr lmkthb spr' sgy'' lyth swp wmmll' sgy'' l'wth' hy dbsr'
Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13
ܐܚܪܝܬܗ ܕܦܬܓܡܐ ܒܣܟܗ ܟܠ ܫܡܥ ܘܡܢ ܩܕܡ ܡܪܝܐ ܕܚܠ ܘܦܘܩ̈ܕܢܘܗܝ ܛܪ ܡܛܠ ܕܗܢܐ ܗܘ ܕܡܢ ܐܘܡܢܐ ܚܕ ܐܬܝܗܒ ܟܠ ܐܢܫ
'khrythh dpthgm' bskh kl shme wmn qdm mry' dkhl wpwqdnwhy Tr mTl dhn' hw dmn 'wmn' khd 'thyhb kl 'nsh
This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
14
ܡܛܠ ܕܠܟܠ ܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܡܪܝܐ ܡܥܠ ܒܕܝܢܐ ܥܠ ܟܠ ܕܟܣܐ ܘܓܠܐ ܐܢ ܕܛܒ ܘܐܢ ܕܒܝܫ
mTl dlkl ebd' mry' mel bdyn' el kl dks' wgl' 'n dTb w'n dbysh
For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.