Sirach 29

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	Peshitta
1 He shows mercy who lends to his neighbor, for he keeps the commandments by strengthening him.	1 ܪ̇ܡܐ ܚܘ̈ܒܠܐ ܛܒ̈ܐ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܡܘܙܦ ܠܚܒܪܗ ܘܕܐ̇ܚܕ ܒܐܝܕܐ ܢ̇ܛܪ ܦܘܩܕܢܐ ܗܘ
2 Lend to your neighbor in his time of need, and receive it again from your neighbor in his time.	2 ܐܘܙܦ ܠܚܒܪܟ ܒܥܕܢܐ ܕܨܪܝܟܘܬܗ ܘܐܬܟܠ ܚܒܪܟ ܘܒܥܕܢ ܙܒܢܐ ܐܫܪ ܡܠܬܟ
3 Keep your word, and act faithfully with him, and then you will find whatever you need in every time.	3 ܘܐܩܝܡ ܡܠܬܟ ܘܐܬܩܝܡ ܥܡ ܚܒܪܟ ܘܒܟܠ ܥܕܢ ܬܫܟܚ ܨܒܝܢܟ ܡܢܗ
4 Many have treated a loan like found money, and they offered trouble to those who helped them.	4 ܣܓ̈ܝܐܐ ܓܝܪ ܝܙܘ̈ܦܐ ܕܒܥܘ ܝܙܦܬܐ ܘܐܗܪܘ ܠܡܘܙ̈ܦܢܝܗܘܢ
5 Until they receive, they kiss the hands of the giver, and they humble their voice in promises.	5 ܒܥܕܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܕܝ̇ܙܦ ܢ̇ܫܩ ܐܝܕܗ ܕܡܘܙܦܢܐ ܘܥܠ ܢܟܣ̈ܐ ܕܚܒܪܗ ܡܪܝܡ ܩܠܗ ܘܒܥܕܢܐ ܕܡܝܬܐ ܝܙܦܬܐ ܡܦܝܚ ܢܦܫܗ ܘܠܙܒܢܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܝܗ̇ܒ ܠܗ̇
6 But at the time of repayment, they will ask for more time, and they will speak annoying and complaining words, and they will make excuses for the time.	6 ܕܐܢ ܢܫܟܚ ܢܬܦܪܥ ܦܠܓܐ ܘܚ̇ܫܒ ܠܗ̇ ܐܝܟ ܕܡܫܟܚܘ ܐܫܟܚܗ̇ ܣ̈ܠܩܢ ܐܝ̈ܕܘܗܝ ܡܢ ܢܟܣ̈ܘܗܝ ܣܪܝܩܐܝܬ ܘܩ̇ܢܐ ܠܗ ܣܢܐܐ ܘܐܫܬܘܦ ܕܝܢ ܡܓܢ ܡܨܘ̈ܬܐ ܘܨܘ̈ܚܝܬܐ ܦܪ̈ܥ ܠܗ ܘܚܠܦ ܐܝܩܪܐ ܨܥܪܐ
7 Then, if he is able to repay, he will turn away. He will pay barely one half, and he will consider it as if he had found it.	7 ܣܓܝܐ̈ܐ ܕܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܡܢ ܒܝܫܘܬܐ ܐܬܟܠܝܘ ܠܡܘܙܦܘ ܐܠܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܕܚܠܝܢ ܡܢ ܗܪܬܐ ܣܪܝܩܬܐ
8 But if not, then he will defraud him of his money, and he will have him as an enemy without cause.	8 ܒܪܡ ܥܡ ܡܣܟܢܐ ܐܓܪ ܪܘܚܟ ܥܡܗ
9 And he will repay him with accusations and curses, and he will repay him with contempt, instead of with honor and kindness.	9 ܘܐܝܟ ܕܠܡܛܪ ܦܘܩܕܢܐ ܐܪܘܚܝܗܝ ܘܐܢ ܢܗܘܐ ܚܘܣܪܢܐ ܠܐ ܬܝܬܐ ܥܠ ܒܠܟ
10 Many have refused to lend, not because of wickedness, but because they were afraid to be defrauded without cause.	10 ܐܘܒܕ ܟܣܦܟ ܥܠ ܐܚܘܟ ܘܥܠ ܚܒܪܟ ܘܠܐ ܬܣܝܡܝܘܗܝ ܬܚܝܬ ܟܐܦܐ ܘܐܣܬܐ
11 Yet truly, be more steadfast toward the humble, and you should not delay in acts of mercy toward them.	11 ܣܝܡ ܠܟ ܣܝܡܬܐ ܒܙܕܝܩܘܬܐ ܘܒܚܘܒܐ ܘܗ̣ܝ ܛܒܐ ܠܟ ܡܢ ܟܠ ܡܐ ܕܐܝܬ ܠܟ
12 Assist the poor because of the commandment. And you should not send him away empty because of his dire need.	12 ܨܘܪ ܙܕܩܬܐ ܘܣܝܡ ܒܝܬ ܓܙܟ ܘܗ̣ܝ ܬܦܪܩܟ ܡܢ ܟܠ ܕܒܝܫ
13 Lose your money to your brother and your friend. For you should not hide it under a stone to be lost.	13 ܣܟܪ̈ܐ ܕܬܘܩܦܐ ܘܪܘܡܚܐ ܘܫܘܪܐ ܠܩܪܒܐ ܘܠܘܩܒܠ ܣܓܝܐ̈ܐ ܗ̣ܝ ܬܢܝܚܟ
14 Let your treasure be in the precepts of the Most High, and it will benefit you more than gold.	14 ܓܒܪܐ ܛܒܐ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܥ̇ܪܒ ܠܚܒܪܗ ܘܡ̇ܢ ܕܡܘܒܕ ܒܗܬܬܐ ܥ̇ܪܩ ܡܢ ܥܪܒܗ
15 Store your alms in the hearts of the poor, and it will obtain help for you against all evil.
16 Better than the shield or the lance of a powerful man,	16 ܛܝܒܘܬܐ ܕܥ̇ܪܒܐ ܢܫܒܘܩ ܥ̇ܘܠܐ
17 it will fight for you against your enemy.	17 ܘܕܫܒ̇ܩ ܒܪܝܗ ܫܒ̇ܩ ܦܪܩܗ
18 A good man offers credit for the sake of his neighbor. But one who abandons him to himself will perish in shame.	18 ܥܪܒܘܬܐ ܠܣܓ̈ܝܐܐ ܐܘܒܕܬ ܘܫܒܩܘ ܢܟܣ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܓ̈ܠܠܐ ܕܝܡܐ ܘܐܦ ܠܡܪ̈ܝ ܢܟܣ̈ܐ ܣܪܩܬ ܘܐܙܠܘ ܠܥܡܐ ܢܘܟܪܝܐ
19 You should not forget the kindness of your benefactor. For he has offered his life on your behalf.	19 ܚܛܝܐ ܕܥ̇ܒܪ ܥܠ ܦܘ̈ܩܕܢܘܗܝ ܕܡܪܝܐ ܒܥܪܒܘܬܐ ܢܦ̇ܠ ܘܕܪܕܦ ܠܡܩܒܠܘ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܚܛܗ̈ܐ ܢ̇ܦܠ ܒܕܝܢܐ ܚܛܗ̈ܐ ܣܓܝܐ̈ܐ ܡܝܬܝܐ ܥܪܒܘܬܐ ܕܡܬܐܠܨ ܡܓܢ ܘܡܫܟܚ ܕܝܢܐ
20 The sinner and the unclean flee from such promises.	20 ܥܪܘܒ ܠܚܒܪܟ ܐܝܟ ܡܐ ܕܡܨܐ ܐܢܬ ܒܚܝܠܐ ܘܦܨܐ ܢܦܫܟ ܡܢ ܐܥܦܐ
21 A sinner attributes to himself the goods of his loan. And an ungrateful mind will abandon the one who has freed him.	21 ܪܝܫ ܚܝܘܗܝ ܕܒܪ ܐܢܫܐ ܠܚܡܐ ܘܡ̈ܝܐ ܘܬܟܣܝܬܐ ܘܒܝܬܐ ܡܟ̇ܣܐ ܨܥܪܐ
22 A man offers credit to his neighbor. But when he will have lost respect, he will abandon him.	22 ܛܒܝܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܓܝܪ ܚܝ̈ܘܗܝ ܕܡܣܟܢܐ ܬܚܝܬ ܛܠܠܐ ܕܩܪ̈ܝܬܗ̇ ܡܢ ܥܘܬܪܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ ܒܐܟܣܢܝܘܬܐ
23 A wicked promise has destroyed many who had good intentions, and has tossed them like a wave on the ocean.	23 ܥܡ ܣ̇ܓܝ ܘܥܡ ܙܥܘܪ ܐܢܫ ܠܐ ܝܕ̇ܥ ܘܡܢܐ ܥ̇ܒܕ ܒܓܘ ܒܝܬܗ ܐܢܫ ܠܐ ܚ̇ܙܐ ܠܗ
24 It has caused powerful men to travel around, and they have wandered amid foreign nations.	24 ܚ̈ܝܐ ܒܝ̈ܫܐ ܡܢ ܒܝ ܠܒܝ ܘܥܠ ܕܝ̈ܢܐ ܪ̈ܘܪܒܐ ܠܐ ܐܫܟܚ ܠܡܦܬܚ ܦܘܡܗ
25 A sinner transgressing the commandment of the Lord will fall into a wicked promise. And he who undertakes many things will fall into judgment.	25 ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܐܢܬ ܘܫ̇ܬܐ ܨܥܪܐ ܘܒܬܪ ܗܠܝܢ ܬܫܡܥ ܡܪ̈ܝܪܬܐ
26 Help your neighbor to recover according to your ability, but attend to yourself, lest you also fall.	26 ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܐܢܬ ܥ̣ܒܪ ܬ̇ܩܢ ܦܬܘܪܐ ܘܠ̣ܥܣ ܡܕܡ ܕܐܝܬ ܒܐܝ̈ܕܝܟ
27 The primary need in a man’s life is water and bread, and clothing, and a house to protect modesty.	27 ܦܘܩ ܡܢ ܩܕܡ ܐܝܩܪܐ ܐܪܚܐ ܓܝܪ ܥ̣ܪܨ ܥܠܝ
28 A pauper’s food under a roof of boards is better than a splendid feast on a sojourn away from home.	28 ܘܠܐܠܗܐ ܗܘ ܡܘܙܦ ܐܢܬ ܘܗܘ ܦ̇ܪܥ ܠܟ ܚܕ ܒܫܒܥܐ
29 Let yourself be pleased with little instead of much, and you will not hear the reproach of being away from home.
30 It is a wicked life to go from house to house as a guest. For wherever he is a guest, he will not act confidently, nor open his mouth.
31 He will entertain, and feed, and give drink to the ungrateful, and beyond this, he will listen to bitter words:
32 “Go, my guest, and set the table, and let others eat from what you have in your hand.”
33 “Depart from the honored face of my friends. For it has become necessary for my house to host my brother instead.”
34 These things are grievous to a man having understanding: to take advantage of a household, and to reproach a lender.