1
ܫܡܥܘ ܒ̈ܢܝܐ ܡܪܕܘܬܗ ܕܐܒܐ ܘܨܘܬܘ ܝܕܥܬܐ ܘܣܘܟܠܐ
shmew bny' mrdwthh d'b' wtswthw ydeth' wswkl'
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2
ܡܛܠ ܕܝܘܠܦܢܐ ܛܒܐ ܝܗܒܬ ܠܟܘܢ ܢܡܘܣܝ ܠܐ ܬܫܒܩܘܢ
mTl dywlpn' Tb' yhbth lkwn nmwsy l' thshbqwn
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3
ܒܪܐ ܓܝܪ ܗܘܝܬ ܠܐܒܝ ܡܦܢܩܐ ܘܝܚܝܕܐ ܩܕܡ ܐܡܝ
br' gyr hwyth l'by mpnq' wykhyd' qdm 'my
For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
4
ܘܐܠܦܢܝ ܘܐܡܪ ܠܝ ܬܬܚܝܠ ܡܠܬܝ ܒܠܒܟ ܛܪ ܦܘܩ̈ܕܢܝ ܘܚܝܝ ܘܢܡܘܣܝ ܐܝܟ ܒܒܬܐ ܕܥܝܢܐ
w'lpny w'mr ly ththkhyl mlthy blbk Tr pwqdny wkhyy wnmwsy 'yk bbth' deyn'
He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5
ܩܢܝ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܩܢܝ ܣܘܟܠܐ ܘܠܐ ܬܣܛܐ ܡܢ ܡܐܡܪܗ ܕܦܘܡܝ
qny khkmth' wqny swkl' wl' thsT' mn m'mrh dpwmy
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6
ܠܐ ܬܫܒܩܝܗ̇ ܕܬܢܛܪܟ ܪܚܡܝܗ̇ ܕܬܫܘܙܒܟ
l' thshbqyh dthnTrk rkhmyh dthshwzbk
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7
ܪܝܫ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܩܢܝ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܒܟܠܗ ܩܢܝܢܟ ܩܢܝ ܣܘܟܠܐ
rysh khkmth' qny khkmth' wbklh qnynk qny swkl'
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8
ܚܒܒܝܗ̇ ܕܬܪܡܪܡܟ ܘܥܦܩܝܗ̇ ܕܬܝܩܪܟ
khbbyh dthrmrmk wepqyh dthyqrk
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
9
ܘܬܣܝܡ ܒܪܝܫܟ ܝܐܝܘܬܐ ܕܪܘܚܦܐ ܘܒܟܠܝܠܐ ܕܫܘܒܚܐ ܬܣܒܥܟ
wthsym bryshk y'ywth' drwkhp' wbklyl' dshwbkh' thsbek
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
10
ܫܡܥ ܒܪܝ ܘܩܒܠ ܡ̈ܠܝ ܘܢܣ̈ܓܝܢ ܫ̈ܢܝܐ ܕܚܝ̈ܝܟ
shme bry wqbl mly wnsgyn shny' dkhyyk
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
11
ܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܐ ܕܚܟܡܬܐ ܐܠܦܬܟ ܘܗܠܟܬܟ ܒܫ̈ܒܝܠܐ ܬܪ̈ܝܨܐ
'wrkhth' dkhkmth' 'lpthk whlkthk bshbyl' thryts'
I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12
ܘܡܐ ܕܡܗܠܟ ܐܢܬ ܠܐ ܢܙܘܥ̈ܢ ܗ̈ܠܟܬܟ ܘܐܢ ܪܗܛ ܐܢܬ ܠܐ ܬܬܩܠ
wm' dmhlk 'nth l' nzwen hlkthk w'n rhT 'nth l' ththql
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13
ܚܡܣܢ ܒܡܪܕܘܬܝ ܘܠܐ ܬܫܒܩܝܗ̇ ܛܪܝܗ̇ ܡܛܠ ܕܗܝ ܗܝ ܚܝ̈ܝܟ
khmsn bmrdwthy wl' thshbqyh Tryh mTl dhy hy khyyk
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14
ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܚ̈ܛܝܐ ܠܐ ܬܐܙܠ ܘܠܐ ܬܛܢ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܒܝܫ̈ܐ
b'wrkh' dkhTy' l' th'zl wl' thTn b'wrkh' dbysh'
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15
ܘܒܐܬܪܐ ܕܫܪܝܢ ܠܐ ܬܥܒܪ ܒܗ ܐܠܐ ܣܛܝ ܘܥܒܪ ܡܢܗ
wb'thr' dshryn l' thebr bh 'l' sTy webr mnh
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16
ܠܐ ܓܝܪ ܕܡܟܝܢ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܥܒܕܝܢ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܘܦܪܝܕܐ ܗܝ ܫܢܬܗܘܢ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܥܒܕܝܢ ܨܒܝܢܗܘܢ
l' gyr dmkyn edm' debdyn byshth' wpryd' hy shnthhwn edm' debdyn tsbynhwn
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
17
ܡܛܠ ܕܡܐܟܘܠܬܗܘܢ ܡܐܟܘܠܬܐ ܗܝ ܕܥܘ̣ܠܐ ܘܚܡܪܐ ܕܥܬܐ ܫܬܝܢ
mTl dm'kwlthhwn m'kwlth' hy dewl' wkhmr' deth' shthyn
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18
ܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܙܕܝܩ̈ܐ ܐܝܟ ܢܘܗܪܐ ܡܙܗܪܐ ܘܐܙܠ ܢܘܗܪܗ̇ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܬܩܢ ܝܘܡܐ
'wrkh' dyn dzdyq' 'yk nwhr' mzhr' w'zl nwhrh edm' dthqn ywm'
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19
ܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܪ̈ܫܝܥܐ ܚܫܘܟܐ ܗܝ ܘܠܐ ܝܕܥܝܢ ܒܡܢܐ ܡܬܬܩܠܝܢ
'wrkh' dyn drshye' khshwk' hy wl' ydeyn bmn' mththqlyn
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
20
ܒܪܝ ܨܘܬ ܡ̈ܠܝ ܘܠܡܐܡܪܝ ܐܪܟܢ ܐܕܢܟ
bry tswth mly wlm'mry 'rkn 'dnk
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
21
ܠܐ ܢ̈ܙܠܢ ܒܥܝܢ̈ܝܟ ܐܠܐ ܛܪ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܒܓܘܗ ܕܠܒܟ
l' nzln beynyk 'l' Tr 'nyn bgwh dlbk
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
22
ܡܛܠ ܕܚܝ̈ܐ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܠܡ̇ܢ ܕܡܫܟܚ ܠܗܝܢ ܘܒܣܪܗ ܟܠܗ ܡܐܣܐ
mTl dkhy' 'nyn lmn dmshkkh lhyn wbsrh klh m's'
For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
23
ܒܟܠ ܙܘܗܪ ܛܪ ܠܒܟ ܡܛܠ ܕܡܢܗ ܗܘ ܡܦܩܢܐ ܕܚܝ̈ܐ
bkl zwhr Tr lbk mTl dmnh hw mpqn' dkhy'
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24
ܐܥܒܪ ܡܢܟ ܦܘܡܐ ܥܩܝܡܐ ܘܪܢܝܐ ܕܥܬܐ ܐܪܚܩ ܡܢ ܣ̈ܦܘܬܟ
'ebr mnk pwm' eqym' wrny' deth' 'rkhq mn spwthk
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25
ܥܝܢ̈ܝܟ ܒܬܪܝܨܘܬܐ ܢܚܘܪ̈ܢ ܘܬܡܪ̈ܝܟ ܢܬܪܨܘܢ ܠܩܘܒܠܟ
eynyk bthrytswth' nkhwrn wthmryk nthrtswn lqwblk
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26
ܐܥܒܪ ܪܓܠܟ ܡܢ ܫ̈ܒܝܠܐ ܒܝܫ̈ܐ ܘܟܠܗܝܢ ܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܟ ܢܬܩ̈ܢܢ
'ebr rglk mn shbyl' bysh' wklhyn 'wrkhthk nthqnn
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27
ܠܐ ܬܣܛܐ ܠܝܡܝܢܐ ܘܠܣܡܠܐ ܐܠܐ ܐܥܒܪ ܪܓܠܟ ܡܢ ܒܝܫܬܐ
l' thsT' lymyn' wlsml' 'l' 'ebr rglk mn byshth'
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.