1
ܘܗܦܟܬ ܐܢܐ ܘܚܙܝܬ ܝܬ ܟܠ ܛܠܘ̈ܡܝܐ ܕܡܬܥܒܕܝܢ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܗܐ ܕܡ̈ܥܐ ܕܛܠܝܡ̈ܐ ܘܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܡܒܝܐܢܐ ܡܢ ܐܝܕܐ ܕܛܠܘܡ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܚܝܠܐ ܘܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܡܥܕܪܢܐ
whpkth 'n' wkhzyth yth kl Tlwmy' dmthebdyn thkhyth shmsh' h' dme' dTlym' wlyth lhwn mby'n' mn 'yd' dTlwmyhwn khyl' wlyth lhwn medrn'
Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
2
ܘܫܒܚܬ ܐܢܐ ܠܡ̈ܝܬܐ ܕܟܒܪ ܡܝܬܘ ܡܢ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܕܗܢܘܢ ܚܝ̈ܝܢ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܗܫܐ
wshbkhth 'n' lmyth' dkbr mythw mn khy' dhnwn khyyn edm' lhsh'
Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.
3
ܛܒ ܕܝܢ ܡܢ ܬܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܥܕܟܝܠ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܚܙܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܒܝܫܐ ܕܐܬܥܒܕ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ
Tb dyn mn thryhwn hlyn mn dedkyl l' hw' mTl dl' khz' ebd' bysh' d'thebd thkhyth shmsh'
Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4
ܘܚܙܝܬ ܐܢܐ ܟܠ ܥܡ̈ܠܐ ܘܟܠ ܟܫܪ̈ܐ ܕܥܒܕܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܛܢܢܗ ܕܓܒܪܐ ܡܢ ܚܒܪܗ ܘܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܗܘ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ
wkhzyth 'n' kl eml' wkl kshr' debd' mTl dTnnh dgbr' mn khbrh w'p hn' hbl' hw wTwrp' drwkh'
Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
5
ܣܟܠܐ ܡܥܦܩ ܐ̈ܝܕܘܗܝ ܘܐܟܠ ܒܣܪܗ
skl' mepq 'ydwhy w'kl bsrh
The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.
6
ܛܒ ܡܠܐ ܫܘܥܠܐ ܢܝܚܐ ܡܢ ܡܠܐ ܚ̈ܘܦܢܐ ܥܡܠܐ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ
Tb ml' shwel' nykh' mn ml' khwpn' eml' wTwrp' drwkh'
Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.
7
ܘܗܦܟܬ ܐܢܐ ܘܚܙܝܬ ܗܒܠܐ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ
whpkth 'n' wkhzyth hbl' thkhyth shmsh'
Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.
8
ܐܝܬ ܚܕ ܘܠܝܬ ܬܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܐܦ ܒܪܐ ܘܐܚܐ ܠܝܬ ܠܗ ܘܠܝܬ ܣܘܦ ܠܟܠ ܥܡܠܗ ܘܐܦ ܥܝܢܗ ܠܐ ܣܒܥܐ ܥܘܬܪܐ ܘܠܡܢ ܐܢܐ ܥܡܠ ܘܡܚܣܪ ܢܦܫܝ ܡܢ ܛܒܬܐ ܘܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܗܘ ܘܥܢܝܢܐ ܒܝܫܐ
'yth khd wlyth thryn w'p br' w'kh' lyth lh wlyth swp lkl emlh w'p eynh l' sbe' ewthr' wlmn 'n' eml wmkhsr npshy mn Tbth' w'p hn' hbl' hw wenyn' bysh'
There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.
9
ܛܒܝ̈ܢ ܬܪ̈ܝܢ ܡܢ ܚܕ ܕܐܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܐܓܪܐ ܛܒܐ ܒܥܡܠܗܘܢ
Tbyn thryn mn khd d'yth lhwn 'gr' Tb' bemlhwn
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
10
ܕܐܢ ܢܦܠ ܚܕ ܡܩܝܡ ܠܗ ܚܒܪܗ ܘܝ ܠܗ ܠܚܕ ܕܐܢ ܢܦܠ ܠܝܬ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܢܩܝܡܝܘܗܝ
d'n npl khd mqym lh khbrh wy lh lkhd d'n npl lyth mn dnqymywhy
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
11
ܘܐܢ ܢܫܟܒܘܢ ܬܪ̈ܝܢ ܢܫܚܢܘܢ ܘܚܕ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܢܫܚܢ
w'n nshkbwn thryn nshkhnwn wkhd 'ykn' nshkhn
Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?
12
ܘܐܢ ܢܥܫܢ ܚܕ ܬܪ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܢܩܘܡܘܢ ܠܩܘܒܠܗ ܘܚܘܛܐ ܕܬܠܬܐ ܠܐ ܥܓܠ ܡܬܦܣܩ
w'n neshn khd thryhwn nqwmwn lqwblh wkhwT' dthlth' l' egl mthpsq
If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
13
ܛܒ ܛܠܝܐ ܕܡܣܟܝܢ ܘܚܟܝܡ ܡܢ ܡܠܟܐ ܣܒܐ ܕܣܟܠ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܠܡܙܕܗܪܘ ܬܘܒ
Tb Tly' dmskyn wkhkym mn mlk' sb' dskl dl' yde lmzdhrw thwb
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more.
14
ܡܛܠ ܕܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܐܣܝܪ̈ܐ ܢܦܩ ܠܡܡܠܟܘ ܡܛܠ ܕܐܦ ܒܡܠܟܘܬܗ ܐܬܝܠܕ ܡܣܟܝܢ
mTl dmn byth 'syr' npq lmmlkw mTl d'p bmlkwthh 'thyld mskyn
For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
15
ܘܚܙܝܬ ܟܘܠ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܕܡܗܠܟܝܢ ܬܚܝܬ ܫܡܫܐ ܥܡ ܥܠܝܡܐ ܬܢܝܢܐ ܕܢܩܘܡ ܚܠܦܘܗܝ
wkhzyth kwl khy' dmhlkyn thkhyth shmsh' em elym' thnyn' dnqwm khlpwhy
I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.
16
ܘܠܝܬ ܣܘܦ ܠܟܠ ܥܡܐ ܠܟܠܗܘܢ ܕܗܘܘ ܩܕܡܘܗܝ ܘܐܦ ܐܚܪ̈ܝܐ ܠܐ ܢܚܕܘܢ ܒܗ ܡܛܠ ܕܐܦ ܗܢܐ ܗܒܠܐ ܘܛܘܪܦܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ
wlyth swp lkl em' lklhwn dhww qdmwhy w'p 'khry' l' nkhdwn bh mTl d'p hn' hbl' wTwrp' drwkh'
There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
17
ܛܪ ܪܓܠܟ ܡܐ ܕܐܙܠ ܐܢܬ ܠܒܝܬ ܐܠܗܐ ܘܩܪܘܒ ܠܡܫܡܥ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܡܘܗ̈ܒܬܐ ܕܕܒܚ̈ܐ ܕܣܟ̈ܠܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܝܕܥܝܢ ܠܡܥܒܕ ܕܛܒ
Tr rglk m' d'zl 'nth lbyth 'lh' wqrwb lmshme Tb mn mwhbth' ddbkh' dskl' mTl dl' ydeyn lmebd dTb