2
ܠܘܝ ܕܝܢ ܡܬܬܩܠ ܪܘܓܙܝ ܘܡܕܡ ܕܗܘܢܝ ܒܡܣܐܬܐ ܐܟܚܕܐ
lwy dyn mththql rwgzy wmdm dhwny bms'th' 'kkhd'
“Oh that my anguish were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!
3
ܡܛܘܠ ܕܗܫܐ ܡܢ ܚܠܐ ܕܝܡ̈ܡܐ ܥܫܢ ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܦܬ̈ܓܡܝ ܟܠܝܢ
mTwl dhsh' mn khl' dymm' eshn mTl hn' pthgmy klyn
For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas, therefore my words have been rash.
4
ܡܛܠ ܕܓܐܪ̈ܘܗܝ ܕܚܣܝܢܐ ܒܒܣܪܝ ܘܚܡܬܗܘܢ ܫܬܝܐ ܠܪܘܚܝ ܘܒܥܬܬܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܣܪܕܬܢܝ
mTl dg'rwhy dkhsyn' bbsry wkhmthhwn shthy' lrwkhy wbeththh d'lh' srdthny
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks up their poison. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
5
ܕܠܡܐ ܡܣܘܩ ܥܪܕܐ ܥܠ ܬܕܐܐ ܐܘ ܓ̇ܥܐ ܬܘܪܐ ܥܠ ܚܡܝܡܐ
dlm' mswq erd' el thd'' 'w ge' thwr' el khmym'
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
6
ܐܘ ܡܬܐܟܠ ܦܟܝܗܐ ܕܠܐ ܡܠܚܐ ܐܘ ܐܝܬ ܛܥܡܐ ܒܪܝܪܗ̇ ܕܚܠܡܬܐ
'w mth'kl pkyh' dl' mlkh' 'w 'yth Tem' bryrh dkhlmth'
Can that which has no flavor be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7
ܡܐܢܬ ܢܦܫܝ ܒܡܟܬܫܗ̇ ܐܘ ܡܝܠܠ ܐܝܟ ܪܘܝܐ ܩܪܒܝ
m'nth npshy bmkthshh 'w myll 'yk rwy' qrby
My soul refuses to touch them. They are as loathsome food to me.
8
ܡܢܘ ܢܬܠ ܠܝ ܕܬܐܬܐ ܫܐܠܬܝ ܘܣܒܪܝ ܢܬܠ ܐܠܗܐ
mnw nthl ly dth'th' sh'lthy wsbry nthl 'lh'
“Oh that I might have my request, that God would grant the thing that I long for,
9
ܘܢܬܛܦܝܣ ܐܠܗܐ ܘܢܕܟܝܢܝ ܘܢܦܪܘܣ ܐܝܕܗ ܘܢܫܡܠܝܢܝ
wnthTpys 'lh' wndkyny wnprws 'ydh wnshmlyny
even that it would please God to crush me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10
ܘܢܗܘܐ ܬܘܒ ܒܘܝܐܝ ܘܐܫܬܡܠܐ ܬܘܒ ܒܚܝܠܐ ܕܠܐ ܚܘܣܢ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܐ ܕܓܠܬ ܒܡܐܡܪܗ ܕܩܕܝܫܐ
wnhw' thwb bwy'y w'shthml' thwb bkhyl' dl' khwsn mTl dl' dglth bm'mrh dqdysh'
Let it still be my consolation, yes, let me exult in pain that doesn’t spare, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11
ܘܟܡܐ ܗܘ ܚܝܠܝ ܕܐܣܝܒܪ ܘܡܢܐ ܗܝ ܚܪܬܝ ܕܐܓܪ ܪܘܚܝ
wkm' hw khyly d'sybr wmn' hy khrthy d'gr rwkhy
What is my strength, that I should wait? What is my end, that I should be patient?
12
ܐܠܘ ܐܝܟ ܚܝܠܐ ܗܘ ܕܟܐܦܐ ܚܝܠܝ ܐܘ ܒܣܪܝ ܕܢܚܫܐ ܗܘ
'lw 'yk khyl' hw dk'p' khyly 'w bsry dnkhsh' hw
Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of bronze?
13
ܗܐ ܠܝܬ ܥܘܕܪܢܗ ܒܝ ܘܦܘܪܩܢܗ ܐܬܪܚܩ ܡܢܝ
h' lyth ewdrnh by wpwrqnh 'thrkhq mny
Isn’t it that I have no help in me, that wisdom is driven away from me?
14
ܕܟ̇ܠܐ ܫܠܡܐ ܡܢ ܚܒܪܗ ܕܚܠܬܗ ܕܥܠܝܐ ܫ̇ܒܩ
dkl' shlm' mn khbrh dkhlthh dely' shbq
“To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15
ܐ̈ܚܝ ܕܓܠܘ ܐܝܟ ܦܨ̈ܝܕܐ ܘܐܝܟ ܪ̈ܓܠܬܐ ܕܥܒܪ̈ܢ
'khy dglw 'yk ptsyd' w'yk rglth' debrn
My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away;
16
ܕܕܚܠܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܡܢ ܓܠܝܕܐ ܥܠܝܗܘܢ ܣܓܝ ܬܠܓܐ
ddkhlyn hww mn glyd' elyhwn sgy thlg'
which are black by reason of the ice, in which the snow hides itself.
17
ܘܒܫܥܬܐ ܕܕܢ̇ܚ ܒܗܘܢ ܦܫܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܒܚܘܡܗܘܢ ܦܫܪ̈ܝܢ ܡܢ ܐܬܪܗܘܢ
wbsheth' ddnkh bhwn pshryn wbkhwmhwn pshryn mn 'thrhwn
In the dry season, they vanish. When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18
ܢܬܥܪܩܠܘܢ ܫܒ̈ܝܠܐ ܕܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܗܘܢ ܘܢܣܩܘܢ ܒܬܘܫܐ ܘܢܐܒܕܘܢ
ntherqlwn shbyl' d'wrkhthhwn wnsqwn bthwsh' wn'bdwn
The caravans that travel beside them turn away. They go up into the waste, and perish.
19
ܕܚܪܘ ܠܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܐ ܕܬܝܡܢܐ ܘܠܫܒܝ̈ܠܐ ܕܫܒܐ ܣ̇ܟܝܘ ܠܗܘܢ
dkhrw l'wrkhth' dthymn' wlshbyl' dshb' skyw lhwn
The caravans of Tema looked. The companies of Sheba waited for them.
20
ܒܗܬܘ ܒܡܕܡ ܕܐܬܬܟܠܘ ܡܛܘ ܠܘܬܗ ܘܐܚܦܪܘ
bhthw bmdm d'ththklw mTw lwthh w'khprw
They were distressed because they were confident. They came there, and were confounded.
21
ܘܐܦ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܗܘܝܬܘܢ ܥܠܝ ܡܛܠ ܕܥܕܠܐ ܚܙܝܬܘܢ ܙܘܥܐ ܕܚܠܬܘܢ
w'p 'nthwn hwythwn ely mTl dedl' khzythwn zwe' dkhlthwn
For now you are nothing. You see a terror, and are afraid.
22
ܐܠܘ ܓܝܪ ܐܡܪܬ ܠܟܘܢ ܗܒܘ ܠܝ ܐܘ ܡܢ ܢܟܣ̈ܝܟܘܢ ܫܚܘܕܘ ܚܠܦܝ
'lw gyr 'mrth lkwn hbw ly 'w mn nksykwn shkhwdw khlpy
Did I ever say, ‘Give to me’? or, ‘Offer a present for me from your substance’?
23
ܘܦܠܛܘܢܝ ܡܢ ܐ̈ܝܕܝ ܡܥܝܩܢܝ ܐܘ ܡܢ ܐܝܕܐ ܕܚܣܝܢܐ ܦܨܐܘܢܝ
wplTwny mn 'ydy meyqny 'w mn 'yd' dkhsyn' pts'wny
or, ‘Deliver me from the adversary’s hand’? or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors’?
24
ܐܠܦܘܢܝ ܘܐܢܐ ܐܫܬܘܩ ܘܡܢܐ ܛܥܝܬ ܒܝܢܘܢܝ
'lpwny w'n' 'shthwq wmn' Teyth bynwny
“Teach me, and I will hold my peace. Cause me to understand my error.
25
ܠܡܢܐ ܕܚܩܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܡܐܡܪ ܩܘܫܬܐ ܘܡ̇ܢ ܕܡܟܘܢ ܘܡ̇ܟܣ ܡܢܟܘܢ
lmn' dkhqyn 'nthwn m'mr qwshth' wmn dmkwn wmks mnkwn
How forcible are words of uprightness! But your reproof, what does it reprove?
26
ܗܐ ܠܡܟܘܢܘ ܡ̈ܠܝܢ ܬܬܚܫܒܘܢ ܘܥܠ ܪܘܚܝ ܡܠܬܝ ܬܬܒܝܢܘܢ
h' lmkwnw mlyn ththkhshbwn wel rwkhy mlthy ththbynwn
Do you intend to reprove words, since the speeches of one who is desperate are as wind?
27
ܗܐ ܥܠ ܝܬܡܐ ܡܬܪ̈ܘܪܒܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܘܡܟܪܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܠܪܚܡܟܘܢ
h' el ythm' mthrwrbyn 'nthwn wmkryn 'nthwn lrkhmkwn
Yes, you would even cast lots for the fatherless, and make merchandise of your friend.
28
ܘܗܫܐ ܐܬܛܦܝܣܘ ܘܚܘܪܘ ܘܩܕܡܝܟܘܢ ܐܡܠܠ ܘܠܐ ܐܟܕܒ
whsh' 'thTpysw wkhwrw wqdmykwn 'mll wl' 'kdb
Now therefore be pleased to look at me, for surely I will not lie to your face.
29
ܬܘܒܘ ܢܐ ܗܫܐ ܘܠܐ ܬܗܘܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܥ̇ܘ̈ܠܐ ܬܘܒܘ ܗܟܝܠ ܘܙܟܘ
thwbw n' hsh' wl' thhwwn 'yk ewl' thwbw hkyl wzkw
Please return. Let there be no injustice. Yes, return again. My cause is righteous.
30
ܕܠܡܐ ܐܝܬ ܒܠܫܢܝ ܥܘ̣ܠܐ ܐܘ ܦܘܡܝ ܠܐ ܡܡܠܠ ܩܘܫܬܐ
dlm' 'yth blshny ewl' 'w pwmy l' mmll qwshth'
Is there injustice on my tongue? Can’t my taste discern mischievous things?