1
ܐܝܟ ܬܠܓܐ ܒܩܝܛܐ ܘܐܝܟ ܡܛܪܐ ܒܚܨܕܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܠܐ ܝܐܐ ܐܝܩܪܐ ܠܣܟܠܐ
'yk thlg' bqyT' w'yk mTr' bkhtsd' hkn' l' y'' 'yqr' lskl'
Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.
2
ܐܝܟ ܨܦܪܐ ܘܚܝܘܬ ܟܢܦܐ ܕܦܪ̈ܚܢ ܒܐܐܪ ܗܟܢܐ ܠܘܛܬܐ ܣܪܝܩܬܐ ܦܗܝܐ
'yk tspr' wkhywth knp' dprkhn b''r hkn' lwTth' sryqth' phy'
Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.
3
ܫܘܛܐ ܠܣܘܣܝܐ ܘܙܩܬܐ ܠܚܡܪܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܐܦ ܙܩܬܐ ܠܓܒܪܐ ܣܟܠܐ
shwT' lswsy' wzqth' lkhmr' hkn' 'p zqth' lgbr' skl'
A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!
4
ܠܐ ܬܬܠ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܠܣܟܠܐ ܐܝܟ ܣܟܠܘܬܗ ܕܠܐ ܐܦ ܐܢܬ ܬܬܕܡ̇ܐ ܠܗ
l' ththl pthgm' lskl' 'yk sklwthh dl' 'p 'nth ththdm' lh
Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
5
ܐܠܐ ܡܠܠ ܥܡ ܣܟܠܐ ܐܝܟ ܚܟܝܡܘܬܟ ܕܠܐ ܢܣܒܪ ܒܢܦܫܗ ܕܚܟܝܡ ܗܘ
'l' mll em skl' 'yk khkymwthk dl' nsbr bnpshh dkhkym hw
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6
ܡܢ ܬܚܝܬ ܪܓܠܗ ܫܬܐ ܥܘ̣ܠܐ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܡܫܕܪ ܡܠܬܐ ܒܝܕ ܣܟܠܐ
mn thkhyth rglh shth' ewl' mn dmshdr mlth' byd skl'
One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
7
ܐܢ ܬܬܠ ܗܠܟܬܐ ܠܚܓܝܪܐ ܬܩܒܠ ܡܠܬܐ ܡܢ ܦܘܡܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ
'n ththl hlkth' lkhgyr' thqbl mlth' mn pwmh dskl'
Like the legs of the lame that hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8
ܐܝܟ ܟܐܦܐ ܒܩܠܥܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܡܫܒܚ ܠܣܟܠܐ
'yk k'p' bqle' hkn' mn dmshbkh lskl'
As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.
9
ܟܘܒ̈ܐ ܝܥܘ ܒܐܝܕܗ ܕܪܘܝܐ ܘܫܛܝܘܬܐ ܒܦܘܡܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ
kwb' yew b'ydh drwy' wshTywth' bpwmh dskl'
Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
10
ܣܓܝ ܚܐܫ ܒܣܪܗ ܕܣܟܠܐ ܘܪܘܝܐ ܥܒܪ ܝܡܐ
sgy kh'sh bsrh dskl' wrwy' ebr ym'
As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.
11
ܐܝܟ ܟܠܒܐ ܕܗܦܟ ܥܠ ܬܝܘܒܗ ܗܟܢܐ ܗܘ ܣܟܠܐ ܕܫܛܐ ܒܣܟܠܘܬܗ
'yk klb' dhpk el thywbh hkn' hw skl' dshT' bsklwthh
As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
12
ܐܢ ܚܙܝܬ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܚܟܝܡ ܒܥܝܢ̈ܝ ܢܦܫܗ ܦܩܚ ܣܟܠܐ ܛܒ ܡܢܗ
'n khzyth gbr' dkhkym beyny npshh pqkh skl' Tb mnh
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13
ܐܡܪ ܚܒܢܢܐ ܡܐ ܕܡܫܬܕܪ ܐܪܝܐ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܘܐܪܝܐ ܒܝܬ ܫ̈ܘܩܐ
'mr khbnn' m' dmshthdr 'ry' b'wrkh' w'ry' byth shwq'
The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!”
14
ܐܝܟ ܬܪܥܐ ܕܡܬܟܪܟ ܥܠ ܨܝܪܬܗ ܗܟܢܐ ܚܒܢܢܐ ܡܬܗܦܟ ܒܥܪܣܗ
'yk thre' dmthkrk el tsyrthh hkn' khbnn' mthhpk bersh
As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.
15
ܚܒܢܢܐ ܕܡܛܫܐ ܐ̈ܝܕܘܗܝ ܒܥܘܒܗ ܢܠܐܐ ܕܢܘܒܠ ܐܢܝ̈ܢ ܠܦܘܡܗ
khbnn' dmTsh' 'ydwhy bewbh nl'' dnwbl 'nyn lpwmh
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16
ܚܒܢܢܐ ܚܟܝܡ ܒܥܝܢ̈ܝ ܢܦܫܗ ܛܒ ܡܢ ܫܒܥܐ ܝܗ̈ܒܝ ܛܥܡܐ
khbnn' khkym beyny npshh Tb mn shbe' yhby Tem'
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.
17
ܕܡܠܛ ܒܕܝܢܐ ܕܠܐ ܕܝܠܗ ܐܝܟ ܗ̇ܘ ܗܘ ܕܐܚܝܕ ܒܐ̈ܕܢܘܗܝ ܕܟܠܒܐ
dmlT bdyn' dl' dylh 'yk hw hw d'khyd b'dnwhy dklb'
Like one who grabs a dog’s ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
18
ܐܝܟ ܙܢܐ ܕܫܒܗܪ̈ܢܐ ܡܫܕܝܢ ܡ̈ܠܐ ܐܝܟ ܓܐܪ̈ܐ ܫܢܝ̈ܢܐ ܕܡܘܬܐ
'yk zn' dshbhrn' mshdyn ml' 'yk g'r' shnyn' dmwth'
Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
19
ܗܟܢܐ ܗܘ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܢܟܠ ܠܚܒܪܗ ܘܡܐ ܕܐܣܬܟܠܘܗܝ ܐܡܪ ܡܓܚܟ ܓܚܟܬ
hkn' hw gbr' dnkl lkhbrh wm' d'sthklwhy 'mr mgkhk gkhkth
is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Am I not joking?”
20
ܡܐ ܕܠܝܬ ܩܝܣ̈ܐ ܕܥܟܐ ܢܘܪܐ ܘܐܬܪ ܕܠܝܬ ܫܓܘܫܐ ܫܠܝܐ ܡܨܘܬܐ
m' dlyth qys' dek' nwr' w'thr dlyth shgwsh' shly' mtswth'
For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
21
ܛܪܛܩܠ ܠܓܘܡܪ̈ܐ ܘܩܝܣ̈ܐ ܠܢܘܪܐ ܘܓܒܪܐ ܛܪܟܢܐ ܡܓܪܓ ܗܪܬܐ
TrTql lgwmr' wqys' lnwr' wgbr' Trkn' mgrg hrth'
As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
22
ܡ̈ܠܘܗܝ ܕܛܪܟܢܐ ܫ̈ܓܫܢ ܘܢܚ̈ܬܢ ܠܬܘ̈ܘܢܐ ܕܠܒܐ
mlwhy dTrkn' shgshn wnkhthn lthwwn' dlb'
The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.
23
ܐܝܟ ܣܐܡܐ ܡܣܠܝܐ ܕܩܪܝܡ ܥܠ ܚܨܦܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܣ̈ܦܘܬܐ ܕܝܩ̈ܕܢ ܘܠܒܐ ܒܝܫܐ
'yk s'm' msly' dqrym el khtsp' hkn' spwth' dyqdn wlb' bysh'
Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.
24
ܡܢ ܣ̈ܦܘܬܗ ܡܬܝܕܥ ܣܢܐܐ ܘܒܓܘܗ ܟܡܝܢ ܟܡܐܢܐ
mn spwthh mthyde sn'' wbgwh kmyn km'n'
A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.
25
ܘܐܢ ܡܡܟ ܩܠܗ ܠܐ ܬܗܝܡܢܝܘܗܝ ܡܛܠ ܕܫܒܥ ܒܝܫ̈ܢ ܐܝܬ ܒܓܘܗ
w'n mmk qlh l' thhymnywhy mTl dshbe byshn 'yth bgwh
When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26
ܕܡܟܣܐ ܣܢܐܬܐ ܒܠܒܗ ܬܬܓܠܐ ܒܝܫܬܗ ܒܟܢܘܫܬܐ
dmks' sn'th' blbh ththgl' byshthh bknwshth'
His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27
ܕܚܦܪ ܓܘܡܨܐ ܢܦܠ ܒܗ ܘܕܡܥܓܠ ܟܐܦܐ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܬܗܦܘܟ
dkhpr gwmts' npl bh wdmegl k'p' elwhy thhpwk
Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28
ܠܫܢܐ ܕܓܠܐ ܣܢܐ ܩܘܫܬܐ ܘܦܘܡܐ ܛܪܟܢܐ ܥܒܕ ܫܓܘܫܝܐ
lshn' dgl' sn' qwshth' wpwm' Trkn' ebd shgwshy'
A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.