The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
Chapter 13
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 honour- able than himself. And have no fellow- ship 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.
The Catholic Bible Online. Scriptures are from The Douay Rheims Catholic Bible 1582-1610 a.d. Version In the Public Domain. The Douay Rheims Bible is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English undertaken by members of the English College, Douai in the service of the Catholic Church.