Sirach · Catholic Public Domain Version
Sirach 13 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 Whoever touches pitch will be contaminated by it. And whoever associates with the arrogant will be clothed by arrogance.
1 He who touches pitch will be defiled. He who has fellowship with a proud man will become like him.
2 Whoever 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.
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 What will the cooking pot have in common with the earthen vessel? And when they collide with one another, one will be broken.
3 The rich man does a wrong and threatens. The poor is wronged and apologizes.
4 The rich man has suffered no injustice, and yet he fumes. But the poor man, though he has been wounded, will remain silent.
4 If you are profitable, he will exploit you. If you are in need, he will forsake you.
5 If you are generous, he will take you up; and when you have nothing, he will cast you aside.
5 If you own something, he will live with you. He will drain your resources and will not be sorry.
6 If you possess, he will feast with you, and he will empty you, and he will not grieve over you.
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 If 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?”
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 And 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.
8 Beware that you are not deceived and brought low in your enjoyment.
9 Humble yourself before God, and wait for his hands.
9 If a mighty man invites you, be reserved, and he will invite you more.
10 Be careful. Otherwise, having been seduced into foolishness, you will be humiliated.
10 Don’t press him, lest you be thrust back. Don’t stand far off, lest you be forgotten.
11 Do not choose to be low in your wisdom, otherwise, having been brought low, you will be seduced into foolishness.
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 If you are invited by someone who is more powerful than you, you should decline. Otherwise, he will invite you all the more.
12 He who doesn’t keep secrets to himself is unmerciful. He won’t hesitate to harm and to bind.
13 You cannot be rude to him, lest you be pushed away. And you cannot stray far from him, lest you be forgotten.
13 Keep them to yourself and be careful, for you walk in danger of falling.
14 You 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.
14 Not in this translation
15 His cruel mind will store up your words; and he will not spare you from affliction, nor from prison.
15 Every living creature loves its own kind, and every man loves his neighbor.
16 Be cautious of yourself, and attend diligently to what you are hearing. For you are walking toward your own destruction.
16 All flesh associates with their own kind. A man will stick to people like himself.
17 Yet truly, while listening to these things, consider it as if it were a dream, and you will awaken.
17 What fellowship would the wolf have with the lamb? So is the sinner to the godly.
18 Love God for your entire life, and call upon him for your salvation.
18 What peace is there between a hyena and a dog? What peace is there between a rich man and the poor?
19 Every animal loves its own kind; so also every man loves those closest to himself.
19 Wild donkeys are the prey of lions in the wilderness; likewise poor men are feeding grounds for the rich.
20 All flesh will join with whatever is similar to itself, and every man will associate with whomever is similar to himself.
20 Lowliness is an abomination to a proud man; likewise a poor man is an abomination to the rich.
21 If a wolf would at any time have fellowship with a lamb, so also would a sinner have fellowship with the just.
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 What fellowship does a holy man have with a dog? Or what portion do the wealthy have with the poor?
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 In the desert, the wild donkey is the prey of the lion. So also are the poor the pasture of the rich.
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 And just as humility is an abomination to the arrogant, so also does the rich man abhor the poor man.
24 Riches are good if they have no sin. Poverty is evil only in the opinion of the ungodly.
25 When 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.
25 The heart of a man changes his countenance, whether it is for good or for evil.
26 When a rich man has been deceived, many will help him recover; he has spoken arrogantly, and yet they justify him.
26 A cheerful countenance is a sign of a prosperous heart. Devising proverbs takes strenuous thinking.
27 When a poor man has been deceived, in addition he is rebuked; he has spoken with understanding, and no place is given to him.
27 Not in this translation
28 The rich man has spoken, and all remain silent, and they repeat his words, even to the clouds.
28 Not in this translation
29 The poor man has spoken, and they say: “Who is this?” And if he stumbles, they will overthrow him.
29 Not in this translation
30 Substance is good for him who has no sin on his conscience. And poverty is called very wicked by the mouth of the impious.
30 Not in this translation
31 The heart of a man changes his face, either for better or for worse.
31 Not in this translation
32 You will find, with difficulty and much labor, the sign of a good heart and a good face.
32 Not in this translation