1 [Qui facit misericordiam fœneratur proximo suo: et qui prævalet manu mandata servat. 2 Fœnerare proximo tuo in tempore necessitatis illius: et iterum redde proximo in tempore suo. 3 Confirma verbum, et fideliter age cum illo: et in omni tempore invenies quod tibi necessarium est. 4 Multi quasi inventionem æstimaverunt fœnus, et præstiterunt molestiam his qui se adjuverunt. 5 Donec accipiant, osculantur manus dantis, et in promissionibus humiliant vocem suam: 6 et in tempore redditionis postulabit tempus, et loquetur verba tædii et murmurationum, et tempus causabitur. 7 Si autem potuerit reddere, adversabitur: solidi vix reddet dimidium, et computabit illud quasi inventionem: 8 sin autem, fraudabit illum pecunia sua, et possidebit illum inimicum gratis: 9 et convitia et maledicta reddet illi, et pro honore et beneficio reddet illi contumeliam. 10 Multi non causa nequitiæ non fœnerati sunt, sed fraudari gratis timuerunt. 11 Verumtamen super humilem animo fortior esto, et pro eleemosyna non trahas illum. 12 Propter mandatum assume pauperem, et propter inopiam ejus ne dimittas eum vacuum. 13 Perde pecuniam propter fratrem et amicum tuum, et non abscondas illam sub lapide in perditionem. 14 Pone thesaurum tuum in præceptis Altissimi, et proderit tibi magis quam aurum. 15 Conclude eleemosynam in corde pauperis, et hæc pro te exorabit ab omni malo. 16 Super scutum potentis 17 et super lanceam 18 adversus inimicum tuum pugnabit.] 19 [Vir bonus fidem facit pro proximo suo: et qui perdiderit confusionem derelinquet sibi. 20 Gratiam fidejussoris ne obliviscaris: dedit enim pro te animam suam. 21 Repromissorem fugit peccator et immundus. 22 Bona repromissoris sibi ascribit peccator: et ingratus sensu derelinquet liberantem se. 23 Vir repromittit de proximo suo: et cum perdiderit reverentiam, derelinquetur ab eo. 24 Repromissio nequissima multos perdidit dirigentes, et commovit illos quasi fluctus maris. 25 Viros potentes gyrans migrare fecit, et vagati sunt in gentibus alienis. 26 Peccator transgrediens mandatum Domini incidet in promissionem nequam: et qui conatur multa agere incidet in judicium. 27 Recupera proximum secundum virtutem tuam, et attende tibi ne incidas.] 28 [Initium vitæ hominis, aqua et panis, et vestimentum, et domus protegens turpitudinem. 29 Melior est victus pauperis sub tegmine asserum quam epulæ splendidæ in peregre sine domicilio. 30 Minimum pro magno placeat tibi, et improperium peregrinationis non audies. 31 Vita nequam hospitandi de domo in domum: et ubi hospitabitur non fiducialiter aget, nec aperiet os. 32 Hospitabitur, et pascet, et potabit ingratos, et ad hæc amara audiet: 33 transi, hospes, et orna mensam, et quæ in manu habes ciba ceteros. 34 Exi a facie honoris amicorum meorum: necessitudine domus meæ hospitio mihi factus est frater. 35 Gravia hæc homini habenti sensum: correptio domus, et improperium fœneratoris.]
Sirach 29 Clementine Vulgate
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Shut up alms in the heart of a poor man, and it shall intercede for thee unto the Lord."
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
It is written, "As water quencheth fire, so alms quencheth sin." Again it is written, "Shut up alms in the heart of a poor man, and it shall make supplication for thee before the Lord." Again it is written, "Hear, O king, my counsel, and redeem thy sins by alms." And many other testimonies of the Divine oracles are there, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
… of the life of this world, in which all men are passing along as strangers, and no one abides here as possessor; but to every man it is said, "Thou hast been refreshed, pass on, go on thy way, give place to the next comer." Or perhaps from an evil "way," that is, from an evil life, some friend of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)