The Word Am I

The Book of Jesus Sirach

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 13 -

Cautions in the choice of company.

1
He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.
2
He 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.
3
What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.
4
The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.
5
If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
6
If thou have any thing, he will live with thee, and will make thee bare, and he will not be sorry for thee.
7
If 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?
8
And 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.
9
Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.
10
Beware that thou be not deceived Into folly, and be humbled.
11
Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.
12
If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.
13
Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.
14
Affect 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.
15
His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.
16
Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.
17
When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.
18
Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.
19
Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.
20
All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.
21
If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.
22
What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?
23
The wild ass is the lion’s prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.
24
And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.
25
When 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.
26
When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.
27
The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.
28
The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.
29
The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.
30
Riches are good to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is very wicked in the mouth of the ungodly.
31
The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.
32
The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.

Cautions in the choice of company.

1
He who touches pitch will be defiled. He who has fellowship with a proud man will become like him.
2
Don’t take up a burden above your strength. Have no fellowship with one who is mightier and richer than yourself. What fellowship would the earthen pot have with the kettle? The kettle will strike, and the pot will be dashed in pieces.
3
The rich man does a wrong and threatens. The poor is wronged and apologizes.
4
If you are profitable, he will exploit you. If you are in need, he will forsake you.
5
If you own something, he will live with you. He will drain your resources and will not be sorry.
6
Does he need you? Then he will deceive you, smile at you, and give you hope. He will speak kindly to you and say, “What do you need?”
7
He will shame you by his delicacies until he has made you bare twice or thrice, and in the end he will laugh you to scorn. Afterward he will see you, will forsake you, and shake his head at you.
8
Beware that you are not deceived and brought low in your enjoyment.
9
If a mighty man invites you, be reserved, and he will invite you more.
10
Don’t press him, lest you be thrust back. Don’t stand far off, lest you be forgotten.
11
Don’t try to speak with him as an equal, and don’t believe his many words; for he will test you with much talk, and will examine you in a smiling manner.
12
He who doesn’t keep secrets to himself is unmerciful. He won’t hesitate to harm and to bind.
13
Keep them to yourself and be careful, for you walk(a) in danger of falling.
14
(b)
15
Every living creature loves its own kind, and every man loves his neighbor.
16
All flesh associates with their own kind. A man will stick to people like himself.
17
What fellowship would the wolf have with the lamb? So is the sinner to the godly.
18
What peace is there between a hyena and a dog? What peace is there between a rich man and the poor?
19
Wild donkeys are the prey of lions in the wilderness; likewise poor men are feeding grounds for the rich.
20
Lowliness is an abomination to a proud man; likewise a poor man is an abomination to the rich.
21
When a rich man is shaken, he is supported by his friends, but when the humble is down, he is pushed away even by his friends.
22
When a rich man falls, there are many helpers. He speaks things not to be spoken, and men justify him. A humble man falls, and men rebuke him. He utters wisdom, and is not listened to.
23
A rich man speaks, and all keep silence. They extol what he says to the clouds. A poor man speaks, and they say, “Who is this?” If he stumbles, they will help to overthrow him.
24
Riches are good if they have no sin. Poverty is evil only in the opinion of the ungodly.
25
The heart of a man changes his countenance, whether it is for good or for evil.(c)
26
A cheerful countenance is a sign of a prosperous heart. Devising proverbs takes strenuous thinking.

Footnotes

(a)13:13 Gr. along with.
(b)13:14 The remainder of verse 13, and verse 14, are omitted by the best authorities.
(c)13:25 The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.
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