1
ܒܪܝ ܨܘܬ ܠܚܟܡܬܝ ܘܠܡܐܡܪܝ ܐܪܟܢ ܐܕܢܟ
bry tswth lkhkmthy wlm'mry 'rkn 'dnk
My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,
2
ܕܬܙܕܗܪ ܒܬܪܥܝܬܐ ܘܝܕܥܬܐ ܣܦ̈ܘܬܟ ܢܢܛܪ̈ܢ
dthzdhr bthreyth' wydeth' spwthk nnTrn
that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.
3
ܡܛܠ ܕܕܒܫܐ ܗܘ ܡ̈ܛܦܢ ܣܦܘ̈ܬܗ̇ ܕܢܘܟܪܝܬܐ ܘܪ̈ܟܝܟܢ ܡܢ ܡܫܚܐ ܡ̈ܠܝܗ̇
mTl ddbsh' hw mTpn spwthh dnwkryth' wrkykn mn mshkh' mlyh
For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,
4
ܘܚܪܬܗܝܢ ܡܢ ܓܕ̈ܕܐ ܡܪܝܪܐ ܚܪܝܦܐ ܗܝ ܓܝܪ ܡܢ ܣܝܦܐ ܕܬܪ̈ܝܢ ܦܘܡ̈ܘܗܝ
wkhrthhyn mn gdd' mryr' khryp' hy gyr mn syp' dthryn pwmwhy
but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
5
ܘܪ̈ܓܠܝܗ̇ ܡܚ̈ܬܢ ܠܡܘܬܐ ܫܝܘܠ ܗܠܟ̈ܬܗ̇ ܡܣܡܟܐ
wrglyh mkhthn lmwth' shywl hlkthh msmk'
Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.
6
ܘܠܐ ܕܪܟܐ ܒܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܚ̈ܝܐ ܬܘܫܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܓܝܪ ܫܒܝ̈ܠܝܗ̇ ܘܠܐ ܝܕܝܥܝܢ
wl' drk' b'wrkh' dkhy' thwsh' 'nwn gyr shbylyh wl' ydyeyn
She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.
7
ܡܟܝܠ ܒܢ̈ܝܐ ܫܘܡܥܘܢܝ ܘܠܐ ܬܣܛܘܢ ܡܢ ܡܐܡܪܗ ܕܦܘܡܝ
mkyl bny' shwmewny wl' thsTwn mn m'mrh dpwmy
Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.
8
ܐܪܚܩ ܡܢܗ̇ ܐܘܪܚܟ ܘܠܐ ܬܬܩܪܒ ܠܬܪܥܐ ܕܒܝܬܗ̇
'rkhq mnh 'wrkhk wl' ththqrb lthre' dbythh
Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,
9
ܕܠܐ ܬܬܠ ܠܐܚܪ̈ܢܐ ܚܝܠܟ ܘܫܢܝ̈ܟ ܠܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܠܐ ܡܪܚܡܢܝܢ
dl' ththl l'khrn' khylk wshnyk l'ylyn dl' mrkhmnyn
lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;
10
ܘܢܣܒܥܘܢ ܢܘܟܪ̈ܝܐ ܚܝܠܟ ܘܠܐܘܬܟ ܬܥܠ ܠܒܝܬܐ ܕܢܘܟܪ̈ܝܐ
wnsbewn nwkry' khylk wl'wthk thel lbyth' dnwkry'
lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.
11
ܘܒܣܝܒܘܬܟ ܬܬܘܝܟ ܢܦܫܟ ܡܐ ܕܓܡܪ ܒܣܪܐ ܕܓܘܫܡܟ
wbsybwthk ththwyk npshk m' dgmr bsr' dgwshmk
You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
12
ܘܬܐܡܪ ܕܠܡܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܣܢܝܬ ܡܪܕܘܬܐ ܘܡܟܣܢܘܬܐ ܐܣܠܝ ܠܒܝ
wth'mr dlmn' gyr snyth mrdwth' wmksnwth' 'sly lby
and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof.
13
ܘܠܐ ܫܡܥܬ ܠܩܠܐ ܕܡ̈ܠܦܢܝ ܘܠܡܫ̈ܡܥܢܝ ܠܐ ܨܠܝܬ ܐܕܢܝ
wl' shmeth lql' dmlpny wlmshmeny l' tslyth 'dny
I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
14
ܥܕ ܩܠܝܠ ܗ̇ܘܐ ܗܘ̇ܝܬ ܠܝ ܒܟܠ ܒܝܫ̈ܢ ܒܟܢܘܫܬܐ ܘܒܥܕܬܐ
ed qlyl hw' hwyth ly bkl byshn bknwshth' wbedth'
I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”
15
ܐܫܬܝ ܡ̈ܝܐ ܡܢ ܒܪܟ ܘܪ̈ܕܝܐ ܡܢ ܡܥܝܢܟ
'shthy my' mn brk wrdy' mn meynk
Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.
16
ܘܢܫܬܦܥܘܢ ܡܝ̈ܟ ܒܫ̈ܘܩܝܟ ܘܒܫ̈ܘܩܝܟ ܢܪܕܘܢ
wnshthpewn myk bshwqyk wbshwqyk nrdwn
Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?
17
ܘܢܗܘܘܢ ܠܟ ܒܠܚܘܕܝܟ ܘܢܘܟܪ̈ܝܐ ܠܐ ܢܫܬܘܬܦܘܢ ܥܡܟ
wnhwwn lk blkhwdyk wnwkry' l' nshthwthpwn emk
Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.
18
ܘܢܗܘܐ ܒܪܝܟ ܡܒܘܥܟ ܘܚܕܝ ܥܡ ܐܢܬܬ ܛܠܝܘܬܟ
wnhw' bryk mbwek wkhdy em 'nthth Tlywthk
Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19
ܐܝܠܬܐ ܕܪܚܡܬܐ ܘܕܝܨܬܐ ܕܪܚܡܬܐ ܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܗ̇ ܝܠܦ ܒܟܠ ܙܒܢ ܘܒܪܚܡܬܗ̇ ܪܥܝ
'ylth' drkhmth' wdytsth' drkhmth' 'wrkhthh ylp bkl zbn wbrkhmthh rey
A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.
20
ܘܠܐ ܬܛܥܐ ܒܪܝ ܒܢܘܟܪܝܬܐ ܘܐܦ ܠܐ ܬܥܦܩ ܥܘܒܗ̇ ܕܢܘܟܪܝܬܐ
wl' thTe' bry bnwkryth' w'p l' thepq ewbh dnwkryth'
For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?
21
ܡܛܠ ܕܩܕܡ ܥܝ̈ܢܘܗܝ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܕܡܪܝܐ ܐܘܪ̈ܚܬܗ ܕܓܒܪܐ ܘܟܠܗܘܢ ܫܒܝ̈ܠܘܗܝ ܓܠܝܢ ܩܕܡܘܗܝ
mTl dqdm eynwhy 'nyn dmry' 'wrkhthh dgbr' wklhwn shbylwhy glyn qdmwhy
For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes. He examines all his paths.
22
ܒܚ̈ܘܒܘܗܝ ܢܬܬܚܕ ܥܘܠܐ ܘܒܚܒܠܐ ܕܚ̈ܛܗܘܗܝ ܢܬܦܟܪ
bkhwbwhy nththkhd ewl' wbkhbl' dkhThwhy nthpkr
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
23
ܗܘ ܢܡܘܬ ܕܠܐ ܡܪܕܘ ܘܒܣܘܓܐܐ ܕܛܥܝܘܬܗ ܢܬܛܥܐ
hw nmwth dl' mrdw wbswg'' dTeywthh nthTe'
He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.