Sirach 29

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Making your neighbour a loan is an act of mercy, to lend him a helping hand is to keep thecommandments.	1 He that sheweth mercy, lendeth to his neighbour: and he that is stronger in hand, keepeth the commandments.
2 Lend to your neighbour in his time of need, and in your turn repay your neighbour on time.	2 Lend to thy neighbour in the time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again in due time.
3 Be as good as your word and keep faith with him, and you wil find your needs met every time.	3 Reap thy word, and deal faithfully with him: and thou shalt always find that which is necessary for thee.
4 Many treat a loan as a windfal , and embarrass those who have come to their rescue.	4 Many have looked upon a thing lent as a thing found, and have given trouble to them that helped them.
5 Until he gets something, a man wil kiss his neighbour's hand, and refer diffidently to his wealth; butwhen the loan fal s due, he puts this off, he repays with offhand words, and pleads the inconvenience of the time.	5 Till they receive, they kiss the hands of the lender, and in promises they humble their voice:
6 Even if he can be made to pay, his creditor wil recover barely half, and consider even that a windfal .But otherwise he wil be cheated of his money, and undeservedly gain himself an enemy; the man wil pay himback in curses and abuse, and with insults instead of honour.	6 But when they should repay, they will ask time, and will return tedious and murmuring words, and will complain of the time:
7 Many, not out of malice, refuse to lend; they are merely anxious not to be cheated for nothing.	7 And if he be able to pay, he will stand off, he will scarce pay one half, and will count it as if he had found it:
8 Nevertheless, be patient with those who are badly off, do not keep them waiting on your generosity.	8 But if not, he will defraud him of his money, and he shall get him for an enemy without cause:
9 In obedience to the commandment, help the poor; do not turn the poor away empty-handed in theirneed.	9 And he will pay him with reproaches and curses, and instead of honour and good turn will repay him injuries.
10 Spend your money on your brother or your friend, do not leave it under a stone to rust away.	10 Many have refused to lend, not out of wickedness, but they were afraid to be defrauded without cause.
11 Use your wealth as the Most High has decreed; you will find that more profitable than gold.	11 But yet towards the poor be thou more hearty, and delay not to shew him mercy.
12 Stock your store-rooms with almsgiving; this will save you from al misfortune.	12 Help the poor because of the commandment: and send him not away empty handed because of his poverty.
13 Better than sturdy shield or weighty spear, this will fight for you against the enemy.	13 Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend: and hide it not under a stone to be lost.
14 A good man wil go surety for his neighbour; only a shameless wretch would desert him.	14 Place thy treasure in the commandments of the most High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold.
15 Do not forget the favour your guarantor has done you; he has given his life for you.	15 Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and it shall obtain help for thee against all evil.
16 A sinner is careless of his guarantor's prosperity, the ungrateful forgets his deliverer.	16 Better than the shield of the mighty, and better than the spear:
17 Going surety has ruined many who were prosperous, tossing them about in a heavy sea.	17 It shall fight for thee against thy enemy.
18 It has driven the powerful from home to wander among foreign nations.	18 A good man is surety for his neighbour: and he that hath lost shame, will leave him to himself.
19 A wicked man in a hurry to stand guarantor in the hope of profit, is hurrying to be sentenced.	19 Forget not the kindness of thy surety: for he hath given his life for thee.
20 Come to your neighbour's help as far as you can, but take care not to fall into the same plight.	20 The sinner and the unclean fleeth from his surety.
21 The first thing in life is water, and bread, and clothing, and a house for the sake of privacy.	21 A sinner attributeth to himself the goods of his surety: and he that is of an unthankful mind will leave him that delivered him.
22 Better the life of the poor under a roof of planks, than lavish fare in somebody else's house.	22 A man is surety for his neighbour: and when he hath lost all shame, he shall forsake him.
23 Whether you have little or much, be content with it, and you wil not hear your household complaining.	23 Evil suretyship hath undone many of good estate, and hath tossed them as a wave of the sea.
24 It is a miserable life, going from house to house; wherever you stay, you dare not open your mouth,	24 It hath made powerful men to go from place to place round about, and they have wandered in strange countries.
25 you do not belong, you receive no thanks for the drink you pour out and hear embittering words intothe bargain:	25 A sinner that transgresseth the commandment of the Lord, shall fall into an evil suretyship: and he that undertaketh many things, shall fall into judgment.
26 'Come along, stranger, lay the table, what have you got ready? give me something to eat!'	26 Recover thy neighbour according to thy power, and take heed to thyself that thou fall not.
27 'Go away, stranger, make room for someone important; my brother is coming to stay, I need thehouse.'	27 The chief thing for man's life is water and bread, and clothing, and a house to cover shame.
28 It is hard for the reasonable to be begrudged hospitality to be shamed like a debtor.	28 Better is the poor man's fare under a roof of boards, than sumptuous cheer abroad in another man's house.
	29 Be contented with little instead of much, and thou shalt not hear the reproach of going abroad.
	30 It is a miserable life to go as a guest from house to house: for where a man is a stranger, he shall not deal confidently, nor open his mouth.
	31 He shall entertain and feed, and give drink to the unthankful, and moreover he shall hear bitter words.
	32 Go, stranger, and furnish the table, and give others to eat what thou hast in thy hand.
	33 Give place to the honourable presence of my friends: for I want my house, my brother being to be lodged with me.
	34 These things are grievous to a man of understanding: the upbraiding of houseroom, and the reproaching of the lender.