1
ܦܬ̈ܓܡܘܗܝ ܕܩܘܗܠܬ ܒܪ ܕܘܝܕ ܡܠܟܐ ܕܐܘܪܫܠܡ
pthgmwhy dqwhlth br dwyd mlk' d'wrshlm
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2
ܗܒܠ ܗ̈ܒܠܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܩܘܗܠܬ ܗܒܠ ܗ̈ܒܠܝܢ ܟܠ ܡܕܡ ܗܒܠܐ
hbl hblyn 'mr qwhlth hbl hblyn kl mdm hbl'
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
3
ܡܢܐ ܝܘܬܪܢܐ ܠܒܪܢܫܐ ܒܟܠ ܥܡܠܐ ܕܗܘ ܥܡܠ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ
mn' ywthrn' lbrnsh' bkl eml' dhw eml thkhyth shmsh'
What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
4
ܕܪ ܐܙܠ ܘܕܪ ܐܬܐ ܘܐܪܥܐ ܠܥܠܡ ܩܝܡܐ
dr 'zl wdr 'th' w're' lelm qym'
One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.
5
ܕܢܚ ܫܡܫܐ ܘܥܪܒ ܫܡܫܐ ܘܠܐܬܪ ܕܕܢܚ ܗܘ ܬܐܒ ܕܡܢ ܬܡܢ ܬܘܒ ܢܕܢܚ
dnkh shmsh' werb shmsh' wl'thr ddnkh hw th'b dmn thmn thwb ndnkh
The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.
6
ܐܙܠ ܠܬܝܡܢܐ ܘܡܬܟܪܟ ܠܓܪܒܝܐ ܡܬܟܪܟܘ ܡܬܟܪܟ ܘܐܙܠ ܪܘܚܐ ܘܠܚܕܪ̈ܬܗ ܬܐܒ ܪܘܚܐ
'zl lthymn' wmthkrk lgrby' mthkrkw mthkrk w'zl rwkh' wlkhdrthh th'b rwkh'
The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.
7
ܟܠ ܢܚ̈ܠܐ ܪܡܝܢ ܒܝܡܐ ܘܝܡܐ ܠܐ ܡܬܡܠܐ ܠܐܬܪ ܕܐܙܠܝܢ ܢܚ̈ܠܐ ܠܬܡܢ ܗܢܘܢ ܬܝܒܝܢ ܠܡܐܙܠ
kl nkhl' rmyn bym' wym' l' mthml' l'thr d'zlyn nkhl' lthmn hnwn thybyn lm'zl
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.
8
ܟܠܗܘܢ ܦܬ̈ܓܡܐ ܠܐܝܢ ܠܐ ܢܣܒܥ ܓܒܪܐ ܠܡܡܠܠܘ ܘܠܐ ܣܒܥܐ ܥܝܢܐ ܠܡܚܙܐ ܘܠܐ ܡܠܝܐ ܐܕܢܐ ܠܡܫܡܥ
klhwn pthgm' l'yn l' nsbe gbr' lmmllw wl' sbe' eyn' lmkhz' wl' mly' 'dn' lmshme
All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9
ܡܐ ܕܗܘܐ ܗܘ ܗܘܐ ܘܡܐ ܕܐܬܥܒܕ ܗܘ ܡܬܥܒܕ ܘܠܝܬ ܡܕܡ ܚܕܬ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ
m' dhw' hw hw' wm' d'thebd hw mthebd wlyth mdm khdth thkhyth shmsh'
That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.
10
ܟܠ ܕܢܡܠܠ ܘܢܐܡܪ ܚܙܝ ܗܢܐ ܚܕܬ ܗܘ ܟܒܪ ܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܥܠܡܝܢ ܕܡܢ ܠܩܘܕܡܝܢ
kl dnmll wn'mr khzy hn' khdth hw kbr hw' mn elmyn dmn lqwdmyn
Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
11
ܠܝܬ ܕܘܟܪܢ ܠܩܕܡ̈ܝܐ ܘܐܦܠܐ ܠܐܚܪ̈ܝܐ ܕܗܘܝܢ ܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܕܘܟܪܢ ܥܡ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܗܘܝܢ ܠܐܚܪܝܬܐ
lyth dwkrn lqdmy' w'pl' l'khry' dhwyn lyth lhwn dwkrn em 'ylyn dhwyn l'khryth'
There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.
12
ܐܢܐ ܩܘܗܠܬ ܗܘܝܬ ܡܠܟܐ ܥܠ ܐܝܣܪܝܠ ܒܐܘܪܫܠܡ
'n' qwhlth hwyth mlk' el 'ysryl b'wrshlm
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13
ܝܗܒܬ ܠܒܝ ܠܡܒܥܐ ܘܠܡܬܒܝܢܘ ܒܚܟܡܬܐ ܥܠ ܟܠ ܕܐܬܥܒܕ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܥܢܝܢܐ ܒܝܫܐ ܝܗܒ ܡܪܝܐ ܠܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܢܫܐ ܕܢܬܥܢܘܢ ܒܗ
yhbth lby lmbe' wlmthbynw bkhkmth' el kl d'thebd thkhyth shmsh' enyn' bysh' yhb mry' lbny 'nsh' dnthenwn bh
I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
14
ܚܙܝܬ ܟܠ ܥܒܕܐ ܕܐܬܥܒܕ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܘܗܐ ܟܠ ܡܕܡ ܗܒܠܐ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ
khzyth kl ebd' d'thebd thkhyth shmsh' wh' kl mdm hbl' wTwrp' drwkh'
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
15
ܡܕܘܕܐ ܠܐ ܡܫܟܚ ܠܡܬܩܢ ܘܚܣܝܪܐ ܠܐ ܡܫܟܚ ܠܡܬܡܠܝܘ
mdwd' l' mshkkh lmthqn wkhsyr' l' mshkkh lmthmlyw
That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.
16
ܡܠܠܬ ܐܢܐ ܥܡ ܠܒܝ ܠܡܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܗܐ ܝܪܒܬ ܘܐܘܣܦܬ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܥܠ ܟܠ ܕܗܘܘ ܩܕܡܝ ܒܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܘܠܒܝ ܚܙܐ ܣܘܓܐܐ ܕܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܕܐܝܕܥܬܐ
mllth 'n' em lby lm'mr 'n' h' yrbth w'wspth khkmth' el kl dhww qdmy b'wrshlm wlby khz' swg'' dkhkmth' wd'ydeth'
I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”
17
ܘܝܗܒܬ ܠܒܝ ܠܡܕܥ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܐܝܕܥܬܐ ܘܡܬ̈ܠܐ ܘܣܟܘܠܬܢܘܬܐ ܘܝܕܥܬ ܕܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܛܘܪܦܐ ܗܘ ܕܪܘܚܐ
wyhbth lby lmde khkmth' w'ydeth' wmthl' wskwlthnwth' wydeth d'p hn' Twrp' hw drwkh'
I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
18
ܡܛܠ ܕܒܣܓܝܐܘܬ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܣܓܝܐܘܬ ܪܘܓܙܐ ܘܕܡܘܣܦ ܠܡܕܥ ܡܘܣܦ ܟܐܒܐ
mTl dbsgy'wth khkmth' sgy'wth rwgz' wdmwsp lmde mwsp k'b'
For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.