Sirach 13

KING JAMES BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.	1 Whoever touches pitch will be contaminated by it. And whoever associates with the arrogant will be clothed by arrogance.
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 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.
3 The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.	3 What will the cooking pot have in common with the earthen vessel? And when they collide with one another, one will be broken.
4 If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.	4 The rich man has suffered no injustice, and yet he fumes. But the poor man, though he has been wounded, will remain silent.
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 If you are generous, he will take you up; and when you have nothing, he will cast you aside.
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 If you possess, he will feast with you, and he will empty you, and he will not grieve over 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 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?”
8 Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy jollity.	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.
9 If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.	9 Humble yourself before God, and wait for his hands.
10 Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.	10 Be careful. Otherwise, having been seduced into foolishness, you will be humiliated.
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 Do not choose to be low in your wisdom, otherwise, having been brought low, you will be seduced into foolishness.
12 But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.	12 If you are invited by someone who is more powerful than you, you should decline. Otherwise, he will invite you all the more.
13 Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.	13 You cannot be rude to him, lest you be pushed away. And you cannot stray far from him, lest you be forgotten.
14 Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.	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.
15 Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbor.	15 His cruel mind will store up your words; and he will not spare you from affliction, nor from prison.
16 All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.	16 Be cautious of yourself, and attend diligently to what you are hearing. For you are walking toward your own destruction.
17 What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.	17 Yet truly, while listening to these things, consider it as if it were a dream, and you will awaken.
18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?	18 Love God for your entire life, and call upon him for your salvation.
19 As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.	19 Every animal loves its own kind; so also every man loves those closest to himself.
20 As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.	20 All flesh will join with whatever is similar to itself, and every man will associate with whomever is similar to himself.
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 If a wolf would at any time have fellowship with a lamb, so also would a sinner have fellowship with the just.
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 What fellowship does a holy man have with a dog? Or what portion do the wealthy have with the poor?
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 In the desert, the wild donkey is the prey of the lion. So also are the poor the pasture of the rich.
24 Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.	24 And just as humility is an abomination to the arrogant, so also does the rich man abhor the poor man.
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 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.
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.	26 When a rich man has been deceived, many will help him recover; he has spoken arrogantly, and yet they justify him.
	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.
	28 The rich man has spoken, and all remain silent, and they repeat his words, even to the clouds.
	29 The poor man has spoken, and they say: “Who is this?” And if he stumbles, they will overthrow him.
	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.
	31 The heart of a man changes his face, either for better or for worse.
	32 You will find, with difficulty and much labor, the sign of a good heart and a good face.