Sirach 13

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.	1 He who touches pitch blackens his hand; he who associates with an impious man learns his ways.
2 Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest; and have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself: for how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken.	2 Bear no burden too heavy for you; go with no one greater or wealthier than yourself. How can the earthen pot go with the metal cauldron? When they knock together, the pot will be smashed:
3 The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.	3 The rich man does wrong and boasts of it, the poor man is wronged and begs forgiveness.
4 If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.	4 As long as the rich man can use you he will enslave you, but when you are exhausted, he will abandon you.
5 If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.	5 As long as you have anything he will speak fair words to you, and with smiles he will win your confidence;
6 If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, and smile upon thee, and put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou?	6 When he needs something from you he will cajole you, then without regret he will impoverish you.
7 And he will shame thee by his meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh thee to scorn afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.	7 While it serves his purpose he will beguile you, then twice or three times he will terrify you; When later he sees you he will pass you by, and shake his head over you.
8 Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy jollity.	8 Guard against being presumptuous; be not as those who lack sense.
9 If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.	9 When invited by a man of influence, keep your distance; then he will urge you all the more.
10 Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.	10 Be not bold with him lest you be rebuffed, but keep not too far away lest you be forgotten.
11 Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication will he tempt thee, and smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets:	11 Engage not freely in discussion with him, trust not his many words; For by prolonged talk he will test you, and though smiling he will probe you.
12 But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.	12 Mercilessly he will make of you a laughingstock, and will not refrain from injury or chains.
13 Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.	13 Be on your guard and take care never to accompany men of violence.
14 Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.	14 Every living thing loves its own kind, every man a man like himself.
15 Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbor.	15 Every being is drawn to its own kind; with his own kind every man associates.
16 All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.	16 Is a wolf ever allied with a lamb? So it is with the sinner and the just.
17 What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.	17 Can there be peace between the hyena and the dog? Or between the rich and the poor can there be peace?
18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?	18 Lion's prey are the wild asses of the desert; so too the poor are feeding grounds for the rich.
19 As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.	19 A proud man abhors lowliness; so does the rich man abhor the poor.
20 As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.	20 When a rich man stumbles he is supported by a friend; when a poor man trips he is pushed down by a friend.
21 A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends.	21 Many are the supporters for a rich man when he speaks; though what he says is odious, it wins approval. When a poor man speaks they make sport of him; he speaks wisely and no attention is paid him.
22 When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: he speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him: the poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; he spake wisely, and could have no place.	22 A rich man speaks and all are silent, his wisdom they extol to the clouds. A poor man speaks and they say: "Who is that?" If he slips they cast him down.
23 When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and, look, what he saith, they extol it to the clouds: but if the poor man speak, they say, What fellow is this? and if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.	23 Wealth is good when there is no sin; but poverty is evil by the standards of the proud.
24 Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.	24 The heart of a man changes his countenance, either for good or for evil.
25 The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.	25 The sign of a good heart is a cheerful countenance; withdrawn and perplexed is the laborious schemer.
26 A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity; and the finding out of parables is a wearisome labour of the mind.