13 He that toucheth pitch, shall be defouled of (or by) it; and he that communeth with a proud man, shall (be) clothe(d) (with) [or in] pride.
2 He raiseth a weight on himself, that communeth with a more honest (or more honoured) man than himself; and be thou not fellow to a man richer than thou. What (or How) shall a caldron commune to (or with) a pot? for when those hurtle themselves together, the pot shall be broken. [Burden upon him(self) he taketh, that communeth to the honester than himself; and to the richer than thou, thou shalt not be (a) fellow. What shall commune the caldron to the pot? when forsooth they shall hurtle themselves, it shall be broken.]
3 A rich man shall do unjustly, and shall gnash, as ready yet to do worse; but a poor man hurt shall be still. [The rich man unrightwisely did, and shall gnash; the poor man forsooth hurt shall hold his peace.]
4 If thou givest, he shall take (from) thee; and if thou hast not, he shall forsake thee. [If thou shall give, he shall take thee; and if thou have not, he shall forsake thee.]
5 If thou hast, he shall live together with thee, and shall make thee void; and he shall not have sorrow on thee. [If thou have, he shall live with thee, and avoid thee out; and he shall not sorrow upon thee.]
6 If thou art needful to him, he shall deceive thee; and he shall flatter, and shall give hope, telling to thee all goods (or every good thing); and shall say, What is need to thee? [If thou were necessary to him, he shall beguile thee; and under laughing hope he shall give, telling to thee all goods; and shall say, What need is to thee?]
7 And he shall shame thee in his meats, till he annihilate or extinguish thee twice and thrice, and at the last he shall scorn thee; afterward he shall see, and shall forsake thee, and he shall move his head to (or at) thee. Be thou made meek to God, and abide thou his hands.
8 Take heed, lest thou be deceived, and be made low in folly. Do not thou be low in thy wisdom, lest thou be made low, and be deceived into folly.
9 When thou art called of (or by) a mightier man, go thou away; for by this he shall more call thee.
10 Be thou not greatly pressing, lest thou be hurtled down; and be thou not far from him, lest thou go into forgetting. [Be thou not too greedy, lest thou be put again; and be thou not far from him, lest thou go into forgetting.]
11 Withhold thou not to speak with him evenly [or Not withhold thou of even to speak with him], that is, speak thou to him without reverence, and believe thou not to his many words; for of (or with) much speech he shall tempt thee, and he shall laugh privily, and shall ask thee of (or about) thine hid things.
12 His cruel soul shall keep thy words, and he shall not spare of malice, and of bonds. [And he shall (al)together keep thy words, and not spare from malice, and from bonds.]
13 Beware to thee, and take heed diligently to thine hearing; for thou goest with thy destroying. But thou hearing those things, see as in sleep, and thou shalt wake. [(Be)Ware to thee, and take heed busily to thine hearing; for with thy turning upside-down thou goest. Hearing forsooth those things, as in swevens see, and thou shalt wake.]
14 In all thy life love thou God, and inwardly call thou him in thine health, that is, for thine health (or deliverance), (both) temporal and everlasting. [In all thy life love God, and inwardly call him in thine health.]
15 Each beast loveth a beast like itself; so and each man oweth (or ought) to love his neighbour.
16 Each flesh shall be joined to flesh like itself, and each man shall be fellowshipped to a man like himself. [Each flesh to his like shall be joined, and each man to his like shall be fellowshipped.]
17 As a wolf shall commune sometime with a lamb, so a sinner with a just man. [As a wolf shall commune to a lamb otherwhile, so a sinner to a rightwise.]
18 What communing [or What communication] is of an holy man to (or with) a dog? either what good part is of a rich man to (or with) a poor man?
19 The hunting of a lion is a wild ass in (the) desert; so (in) the pastures of rich men be poor men. [Hunting of a lion an ass in wilderness; so poor men be (in) the pasture of rich men.]
20 And as meekness is (an) abomination to a proud man, so and a poor man is (an) abomination of (or to) a rich man. [And as abomination to a proud man is meekness, so and cursing of the rich is the poor.]
21 A rich man moved, that is, disturbed, either hurled, is confirmed of (or by) his friends; but a meek man, when he falleth, shall be cast out, yea, of known men, (or by his friends), [or shall be put out also from (his) known].
22 Many recoverers (or helpers) be to a rich man deceived; he spake proudly, and they justified him. (But) A meek man is deceived, furthermore also he is reproved; he spake wisely, and no place was given to him. [To the rich deceived many be recoverers; he spake proudly, and they justified him. The meek is deceived, furthermore and reproved; he spake wisely well, and there is not given to him a place.]
23 The rich man spake, and all men were still; and they shall bring his word till to the clouds. (But) A poor man spake, and they say, Who is this? and if he offendeth (or if he stumble), they shall destroy him. [The rich spake, and all held their peace; and the word of him unto the clouds they shall bear. The poor spake, and they say, Who is this? and if he shall offend, they shall turn him upside-down.]
24 Chattel is good to him, to whom is no sin in conscience; and the worst poverty is in the mouth of a wicked man. [Good is substance, to whom is not sin in conscience; and most wicked is poorness in the mouth of the unpious.]
25 The heart of a man changeth his face, either in good either in evil. Of hard and with travail, thou shalt find the step of a good heart, and a good face (together). [The heart of a man changeth the face of him, or in good or in evil. The step of a good heart, and a good face, hard thou shalt find, and with travail. ]
26 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
Footnotes
- Sirach 13:1
