The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
Chapter 29
1 – He that sheweth mercy, lendeth to his neighbour: and he that is stronger in hand, keepeth the commandments.
2 – Lend to thy neighbour in the time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again in due time.
3 – Reap thy word, and deal faithfully with him: and thou shalt always find that which is necessary for thee.
4 – Many have looked upon a thing lent as a thing found, and have given trouble to them that helped them.
5 – Till they receive, they kiss the hands of the lender, and in promises they humble their voice:
6 – But when they should repay, they will ask time, and will return tedious and murmuring words, and will complain of the time:
7 – And if he be able to pay, he will stand off, he will scarce pay one half, and will count it as if he had found it:
8 – But if not, he will defraud him of his money, and he shall get him for an enemy without cause:
9 – And he will pay him with reproaches and curses, and instead of honour and good turn will repay him injuries.
10 – Many have refused to lend, not out of wickedness, but they were afraid to be defrauded without cause.
11 – But yet towards the poor be thou more hearty, and delay not to shew him mercy.
12 – Help the poor because of the commandment: and send him not away empty handed because of his poverty.
13 – Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend: and hide it not under a stone to be lost.
14 – Place thy treasure in the commandments of the most High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold.
15 – Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and it shall obtain help for thee against all evil.
16 – Better than the shield of the mighty, and better than the spear:
17 – It shall fight for thee against thy enemy.
18 – A good man is surety for his neighbour: and he that hath lost shame, will leave him to himself.
19 – Forget not the kindness of thy surety: for he hath given his life for thee.
20 – The sinner and the unclean fleeth from his surety.
21 – A sinner attributeth to himself the goods of his surety: and he that is of an unthankful mind will leave him that delivered him.
22 – A man is surety for his neighbour: and when he hath lost all shame, he shall forsake him.
23 – Evil suretyship hath undone many of good estate, and hath tossed them as a wave of the sea.
24 – It hath made powerful men to go from place to place round about, and they have wandered in strange countries.
25 – A sinner that transgresseth the commandment of the Lord, shall fall into an evil suretyship: and he that undertaketh many things, shall fall into judgment.
26 – Recover thy neighbour according to thy power, and take heed to thyself that thou fall not.
27 – The chief thing for man’s life is water and bread, and clothing, and a house to cover shame.
28 – Better is the poor man’s fare under a roof of boards, than sumptuous cheer abroad in another man’s house.
29 – Be contented with little instead of much, and thou shalt not hear the reproach of going abroad.
30 – It is a miserable life to go as a guest from house to house: for where a man is a stranger, he shall not deal confidently, nor open his mouth.
31 – He shall entertain and feed, and give drink to the unthankful, and moreover he shall hear bitter words.
32 – Go, stranger, and furnish the table, and give others to eat what thou hast in thy hand.
33 – Give place to the honourable presence of my friends: for I want my house, my brother being to be lodged with me.
34 – These things are grievous to a man of understanding: the upbraiding of houseroom, and the reproaching of the lender.
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.