Sirach 29

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Making your neighbour a loan is an act of mercy, to lend him a helping hand is to keep thecommandments.	1 He that is merciful will lend unto his neighbour; and he that strengtheneth his 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 time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again in due season.
3 Be as good as your word and keep faith with him, and you wil find your needs met every time.	3 Keep thy word, and deal faithfully with him, and thou shalt always find the thing that is necessary for thee.
4 Many treat a loan as a windfal , and embarrass those who have come to their rescue.	4 Many, when a thing was lent them, reckoned it to be found, and put them to trouble 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 he hath received, he will kiss a man's hand; and for his neighbour's money he will speak submissly: but when he should repay, he will prolong the time, and return words of grief, and complain of the time.
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 If he prevail, he shall hardly receive the half, and he will count as if he had found it: if not, he hath deprived him of his money, and he hath gotten him an enemy without cause: he payeth him with cursings and railings; and for honour he will pay him disgrace.
7 Many, not out of malice, refuse to lend; they are merely anxious not to be cheated for nothing.	7 Many therefore have refused to lend for other men's ill dealing, fearing to be defrauded.
8 Nevertheless, be patient with those who are badly off, do not keep them waiting on your generosity.	8 Yet have thou patience with a man in poor estate, and delay not to shew him mercy.
9 In obedience to the commandment, help the poor; do not turn the poor away empty-handed in theirneed.	9 Help the poor for the commandment's sake, and turn him not away because of his poverty.
10 Spend your money on your brother or your friend, do not leave it under a stone to rust away.	10 Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend, and let it not rust under a stone to be lost.
11 Use your wealth as the Most High has decreed; you will find that more profitable than gold.	11 Lay up thy treasure according to the commandments of the most High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold.
12 Stock your store-rooms with almsgiving; this will save you from al misfortune.	12 Shut up alms in thy storehouses: and it shall deliver thee from all affliction.
13 Better than sturdy shield or weighty spear, this will fight for you against the enemy.	13 It shall fight for thee against thine enemies better than a mighty shield and strong spear.
14 A good man wil go surety for his neighbour; only a shameless wretch would desert him.	14 An honest man is surety for his neighbour: but he that is impudent will forsake him.
15 Do not forget the favour your guarantor has done you; he has given his life for you.	15 Forget not the friendship of thy surety, for he hath given his life for thee.
16 A sinner is careless of his guarantor's prosperity, the ungrateful forgets his deliverer.	16 A sinner will overthrow the good estate of his surety:
17 Going surety has ruined many who were prosperous, tossing them about in a heavy sea.	17 And he that is of an unthankful mind will leave him [in danger] that delivered him.
18 It has driven the powerful from home to wander among foreign nations.	18 Suretiship hath undone many of good estate, and shaken them as a wave of the sea: mighty men hath it driven from their houses, so that they wandered among strange nations.
19 A wicked man in a hurry to stand guarantor in the hope of profit, is hurrying to be sentenced.	19 A wicked man transgressing the commandments of the Lord shall fall into suretiship: and he that undertaketh and followeth other men's business for gain shall fall into suits.
20 Come to your neighbour's help as far as you can, but take care not to fall into the same plight.	20 Help thy neighbour according to thy power, and beware that thou thyself fall not into the same.
21 The first thing in life is water, and bread, and clothing, and a house for the sake of privacy.	21 The chief thing for life is water, and bread, and clothing, and an house to cover shame.
22 Better the life of the poor under a roof of planks, than lavish fare in somebody else's house.	22 Better is the life of a poor man in a mean cottage, than delicate fare in another man's house.
23 Whether you have little or much, be content with it, and you wil not hear your household complaining.	23 Be it little or much, hold thee contented, that thou hear not the reproach of thy house.
24 It is a miserable life, going from house to house; wherever you stay, you dare not open your mouth,	24 For it is a miserable life to go from house to house: for where thou art a stranger, thou darest not open thy mouth.
25 you do not belong, you receive no thanks for the drink you pour out and hear embittering words intothe bargain:	25 Thou shalt entertain, and feast, and have no thanks: moreover thou shalt hear bitter words:
26 'Come along, stranger, lay the table, what have you got ready? give me something to eat!'	26 Come, thou stranger, and furnish a table, and feed me of that thou hast ready.
27 'Go away, stranger, make room for someone important; my brother is coming to stay, I need thehouse.'	27 Give place, thou stranger, to an honourable man; my brother cometh to be lodged, and I have need of mine house.
28 It is hard for the reasonable to be begrudged hospitality to be shamed like a debtor.	28 These things are grievous to a man of understanding; the upbraiding of houseroom, and reproaching of the lender.