1
ܡ̈ܠܘܗܝ ܕܡܘܐܝܠ ܡܠܟܐ ܢܒܝܐ ܕܪܕܬܗ ܐܡܗ ܘܐܡܪܬ ܠܗ
mlwhy dmw'yl mlk' nby' drdthh 'mh w'mrth lh
The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:
2
ܝܝ ܒܪܝ ܘܝܝ ܒܪ ܟܪܣܝ ܘܝܝ ܒܪ ܢܕܪ̈ܝ
yy bry wyy br krsy wyy br ndry
“Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
3
ܠܐ ܬܬܠ ܚܝܠܟ ܠܢܫ̈ܐ ܘܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܟ ܠܡܐ̈ܟܠܬܐ ܕܡ̈ܠܟܐ
l' ththl khylk lnsh' w'wrkhthk lm'klth' dmlk'
Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4
ܡܢ ܡ̈ܠܟܐ ܡܘܐܝܠ ܐܙܕܗܪ ܡܢ ܡ̈ܠܟܐ ܕܫ̈ܬܝܢ ܚܡܪܐ ܘܡܢ ܫ̈ܠܝܛܢܐ ܕܫܬܝܢ ܫܟܪܐ
mn mlk' mw'yl 'zdhr mn mlk' dshthyn khmr' wmn shlyTn' dshthyn shkr'
It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
5
ܕܠܐ ܬܫܬܐ ܘܬܛܥܐ ܠܡܒܕܩܢܐ ܘܬܛܥܐ ܕܝܢܐ ܕܟܠܗܘܢ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܡܣ̈ܟܢܐ
dl' thshth' wthTe' lmbdqn' wthTe' dyn' dklhwn bny mskn'
lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
6
ܡܬܝܗܒ ܫܟܪܐ ܠܐ̈ܒܝܠܐ ܘܚܡܪܐ ܠܡܪ̈ܝܪܝ ܢܦܫܐ
mthyhb shkr' l'byl' wkhmr' lmryry npsh'
Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.
7
ܕܢܫܬܘܢ ܘܢܛܥܘܢ ܟܐ̈ܒܝܗܘܢ ܘܥܩ̈ܬܗܘܢ ܬܘܒ ܠܐ ܢܬܕܟܪܘܢ
dnshthwn wnTewn k'byhwn weqthhwn thwb l' nthdkrwn
Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8
ܦܬܚ ܦܘܡܟ ܒܡܠܬܐ ܕܩܘܫܬܐ ܘܕܘܢ ܠܟܠܗܘܢ ܒܢ̈ܝܐ ܥܘ̈ܠܐ
pthkh pwmk bmlth' dqwshth' wdwn lklhwn bny' ewl'
Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
9
ܦܬܚ ܦܘܡܟ ܒܕܝܢܐ ܙܕܝܩܐ ܘܕܘܢ ܠܡܣ̈ܟܢܐ ܘܠܒܝ̇ܫ̈ܐ
pthkh pwmk bdyn' zdyq' wdwn lmskn' wlbysh'
Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
10
ܐܢܬܬܐ ܟܫܝܪܬܐ ܡܢܘ ܡܫܟܚ ܝܩܝܪܐ ܗܝ ܓܝܪ ܡܢ ܟܐ̈ܦܐ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ ܕܕܡ̈ܝܢ ܠܝܬ ܠܗܝܢ
'nthth' kshyrth' mnw mshkkh yqyr' hy gyr mn k'p' Tbth' ddmyn lyth lhyn
Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
11
ܘܬܟܝܠ ܥܠܝܗ̇ ܠܒܗ ܕܒܥܠܗ̇ ܘܐܣܢܐ ܠܐ ܚܣܪ ܠܗ̇
wthkyl elyh lbh dbelh w'sn' l' khsr lh
The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
12
ܥܒܕܬ ܠܗ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ ܘܠܐ ܒܝܫܬ̈ܐ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܕܚ̈ܝܘܗܝ
ebdth lh Tbth' wl' byshth' klhwn ywmth' dkhywhy
She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13
ܒܥܬ ܥܡܪܐ ܘܟܬܢܐ. ܘܥܒܕ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܗ̇ ܐܝܟ ܨܒܝܢܗ̇
beth emr' wkthn' webd 'ydyh 'yk tsbynh
She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.
14
ܗܘܬ ܐܝܟ ܐܠܦܐ ܕܬܓܪܐ. ܕܡܢ ܪܘܚܩܐ ܐܬܝܐ ܬܐܓܘܪܬܗ̇
hwth 'yk 'lp' dthgr' dmn rwkhq' 'thy' th'gwrthh
She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.
15
ܘܩܡܬ ܒܠܠܝܐ ܘܝܗܒܬ ܡܐܟܘܠܬܐ ܠܒܢ̈ܝ ܒܝܬܗ̇ ܘܥ̇ܒܕܐ ܠܛܠܝ̈ܬܗ̇
wqmth blly' wyhbth m'kwlth' lbny bythh webd' lTlythh
She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.
16
ܘܚܪܬ ܒܦܘܠܚܢܐ ܘܙܒܢܬܗ ܘܡܢ ܦܐܪ̈ܐ ܕܐ̈ܝܕܝܗ̇ ܢܨܒܬ ܟܪܡܐ
wkhrth bpwlkhn' wzbnthh wmn p'r' d'ydyh ntsbth krm'
She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17
ܘܐܣܪܬ ܚ̈ܨܝܗ̇ ܒܥܘܫܢܐ ܘܫܪܪܬ ܕܪ̈ܥܝܗ̇
w'srth khtsyh bewshn' wshrrth dreyh
She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18
ܘܛܥܡܬ ܕܛܒܐ ܗܝ ܬܐܓܘܪܬܗ̇ ܘܠܐ ܕܥܟ ܗܘܐ ܫܪܓܗ̇ ܠܠܝܐ ܟܠܗ
wTemth dTb' hy th'gwrthh wl' dek hw' shrgh lly' klh
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19
ܕܪ̈ܥܝܗ̇ ܐܘܫܛܬ ܒܟܫܝܪܘܬܐ ܘܐ̈ܝܕܝܗ̇ ܠܡܘܥܙܠܐ
dreyh 'wshTth bkshyrwth' w'ydyh lmwezl'
She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20
ܐ̈ܝܕܝܗ̇ ܦܫܛܬ ܠܡ̈ܣܟܢܐ ܘܕܪ̈ܥܝܗ̇ ܐܘܫܛܬ ܠܒܝ̇ܫ̈ܐ
'ydyh pshTth lmskn' wdreyh 'wshTth lbysh'
She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
21
ܘܠܐ ܕܚܠܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܒܝܬܗ̇ ܡܢ ܬܠܓܐ ܡܛܘܠ ܕܟܠܗܘܢ ܠܒܝܫ̈ܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܙܚܘܪ̈ܝܬܐ
wl' dkhlyn hww bny bythh mn thlg' mTwl dklhwn lbyshyn hww zkhwryth'
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22
ܬܫܘܝܬܐ ܥܒܕܬ ܠܗ̇ ܘܢܚ̈ܬܐ ܕܒܘܨܐ ܘܕܐܪܓܘܢܐ
thshwyth' ebdth lh wnkhth' dbwts' wd'rgwn'
She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23
ܝܕܝܥ ܗܘܐ ܒܥܠܗ̇ ܒܝܢ̈ܬ ܡܕܝܢ̈ܬܐ ܟܕ ܝܬܒ ܗܘܐ ܒܝܬ ܣ̈ܒܐ ܕܐܪܥܐ
ydye hw' belh bynth mdynth' kd ythb hw' byth sb' d're'
Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24
ܟܬܢܐ ܥܒܕܬ ܘܙܒܢܬ ܘܐܣܪ ܚ̈ܨܐ ܝܗܒܬ ܠܟܢܥ̈ܢܝܐ
kthn' ebdth wzbnth w'sr khts' yhbth lkneny'
She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25
ܥܘܫܢܐ ܘܗܕܪܐ ܠܒܘܫܗ̇ ܘܬܚܕܐ ܒܝܘܡܐ ܐܚܪܝܐ
ewshn' whdr' lbwshh wthkhd' bywm' 'khry'
Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.
26
ܦܘܡܗ̇ ܦܬܚܬ ܒܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܢܡܘܣܐ ܕܪ̈ܚܡܐ ܥܠ ܠܫܢܗ̇
pwmh pthkhth bkhkmth' wnmws' drkhm' el lshnh
She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27
ܘܓ̈ܠܝܢ ܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܐ ܕܒܝܬܗ̇ ܠܚܡܗ̇ ܚܒܢܢܐܝܬ ܠܐ ܐܟܠܬ
wglyn 'wrkhth' dbythh lkhmh khbnn'yth l' 'klth
She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
28
ܩܡܘ ܒܢܝ̈ܗ̇ ܘܝܗܒܘ ܠܗ̇ ܛܘܒܐ ܘܒܥܠܗ̇ ܫܒܚܗ̇
qmw bnyh wyhbw lh Twb' wbelh shbkhh
Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:
29
ܘܣܘܓܐܐ ܕܒ̈ܢܬܗ̇ ܩ̈ܢܝ ܥܘܬܪܐ ܘܐܢܬܝ ܥܒܪܬܝ ܥܠ ܟܠܗܝܢ
wswg'' dbnthh qny ewthr' w'nthy ebrthy el klhyn
“Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”
30
ܕܓܠܐ ܗܝ ܝܐܝܘܬܐ ܘܣܪܝܩ ܗܘ ܫܘܦܪܐ ܘܐܢܬܬܐ ܕܕܚܠܐ ܡܢ ܡܪܝܐ ܗܝ ܬܫܬܒܚ
dgl' hy y'ywth' wsryq hw shwpr' w'nthth' ddkhl' mn mry' hy thshthbkh
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31
ܗܒܘ ܠܗ̇ ܡܢ ܦܐܪ̈ܐ ܕܐ̈ܝܕܝܗ̇ ܘܢܫܒܚܘܢܗ̇ ܥ̇ܒ̈ܕܝܗ̇ ܒܬܪܥܐ
hbw lh mn p'r' d'ydyh wnshbkhwnh ebdyh bthre'
Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!