Sirach 13

¹Whoever touches pitch will be contaminated by it. And whoever associates with the arrogant will be clothed by arrogance.

²Whoever associates with those more honorable than himself sets a burden on himself. And so, you should have no fellowship with someone who is wealthier than you.

³What will the cooking pot have in common with the earthen vessel? And when they collide with one another, one will be broken.

⁴The rich man has suffered no injustice, and yet he fumes. But the poor man, though he has been wounded, will remain silent.

⁵If you are generous, he will take you up; and when you have nothing, he will cast you aside.

⁶If you possess, he will feast with you, and he will empty you, and he will not grieve over you.

⁷If he has need of you, he will deceive you; and while smiling, he will give you hope. He will converse with you pleasantly, and he will say: “What is it that you need?”

⁸And he will impress you with his foods, until he has drained you two or three times, and in the very end, he will ridicule you. And afterward, when he sees you, he will abandon you, and he will shake his head at you.

⁹Humble yourself before God, and wait for his hands.

¹⁰Be careful. Otherwise, having been seduced into foolishness, you will be humiliated.

¹¹Do not choose to be low in your wisdom, otherwise, having been brought low, you will be seduced into foolishness.

¹²If you are invited by someone who is more powerful than you, you should decline. Otherwise, he will invite you all the more.

¹³You cannot be rude to him, lest you be pushed away. And you cannot stray far from him, lest you be forgotten.

¹⁴You cannot hold a discussion with him as with an equal. You should not trust his many words. For by much talking, he will probe you, and while smiling, he will question you about your secrets.

¹⁵His cruel mind will store up your words; and he will not spare you from affliction, nor from prison.

¹⁶Be cautious of yourself, and attend diligently to what you are hearing. For you are walking toward your own destruction.

¹⁷Yet truly, while listening to these things, consider it as if it were a dream, and you will awaken.

¹⁸Love God for your entire life, and call upon him for your salvation.

¹⁹Every animal loves its own kind; so also every man loves those closest to himself.

²⁰All flesh will join with whatever is similar to itself, and every man will associate with whomever is similar to himself.

²¹If a wolf would at any time have fellowship with a lamb, so also would a sinner have fellowship with the just.

²²What fellowship does a holy man have with a dog? Or what portion do the wealthy have with the poor?

²³In the desert, the wild donkey is the prey of the lion. So also are the poor the pasture of the rich.

²⁴And just as humility is an abomination to the arrogant, so also does the rich man abhor the poor man.

²⁵When a wealthy man has been shaken, he is strengthened by his friends. But when a lowly man has fallen, he is expelled even by those who know him well.

²⁶When a rich man has been deceived, many will help him recover; he has spoken arrogantly, and yet they justify him.

²⁷When a poor man has been deceived, in addition he is rebuked; he has spoken with understanding, and no place is given to him.

²⁸The rich man has spoken, and all remain silent, and they repeat his words, even to the clouds.

²⁹The poor man has spoken, and they say: “Who is this?” And if he stumbles, they will overthrow him.

³⁰Substance is good for him who has no sin on his conscience. And poverty is called very wicked by the mouth of the impious.

³¹The heart of a man changes his face, either for better or for worse.

³²You will find, with difficulty and much labor, the sign of a good heart and a good face.

Sirach 13

¹He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.

²He shall take a burden upon him that hath fellowship with one more honourable than himself. And have no fellowship with one that is richer than thyself.

³What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.

⁴The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.

⁵If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.

⁶If thou have any thing, he will live with thee, and will make thee bare, and he will not be sorry for thee.

⁷If he have need of thee he will deceive thee, and smiling upon thee will put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and will say: What wantest thou?

⁸And he will shame thee by his meats, till he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at last he will laugh at thee: and afterward when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.

⁹Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.

¹⁰Beware that thou be not deceived into folly, and be humbled.

¹¹Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.

¹²If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.

¹³Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.

¹⁴Affect not to speak with him as an equal, and believe not his many words: for by much talk he will sift thee, and smiling will examine thee concerning thy secrets.

¹⁵His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.

¹⁶Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.

¹⁷When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.

¹⁸Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.

¹⁹Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.

²⁰All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.

²¹If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.

²²What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?

²³The wild ass is the lion's prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.

²⁴And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.

²⁵When a rich man is shaken, he is kept up by his friends: but when a poor man is fallen down, he is thrust away even by his acquaintance.

²⁶When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.

²⁷The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.

²⁸The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.

²⁹The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.

³⁰Riches are good to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is very wicked in the mouth of the ungodly.

³¹The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.

³²The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.