Ecclesiasticus 13

NOVA VULGATA	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Qui tetigerit picem, inquinabitur ab ea; et, qui communicaverit superbo, induet superbiam.	1 Whoever touches pitch will be defiled, and whoever associates with a proud man will become like him.
2 Pondus super te ne tollas et honestiori et ditiori te ne socius fueris.	2 Do not lift a weight beyond your strength, nor associate with a man mightier and richer than you. How can the clay pot associate with the iron kettle? The pot will strike against it, and will itself be broken.
3 Quid communicabit caccabus ad ollam? Quando enim se colliserint, confringetur.	3 A rich man does wrong, and he even adds reproaches; a poor man suffers wrong, and he must add apologies.
4 Dives iniuste egit et fremet, pauper autem laesus, ipse supplicabit.	4 A rich man will exploit you if you can be of use to him, but if you are in need he will forsake you.
5 Si utilis fueris, assumet te et, si non habueris, derelinquet te.	5 If you own something, he will live with you; he will drain your resources and he will not care.
6 Si habes, convivet tecum et evacuabit te et ipse non dolebit super te.	6 When he needs you he will deceive you, he will smile at you and give you hope. He will speak to you kindly and say, "What do you need?"
7 Si necessarius illi fueris, ludet te et subridens spem dabit narrans tibi bona et dicet: “ Quid opus est tibi? ”.	7 He will shame you with his foods, until he has drained you two or three times; and finally he will deride you. Should he see you afterwards, he will forsake you, and shake his head at you.
8 Et confundet te in cibis suis, donec te exinaniat bis et ter et in novissimo deridebit te; et postea videns derelinquet te et caput suum movebit ad te.	8 Take care not to be led astray, and not to be humiliated in your feasting.
9 Humiliare Deo et exspecta manus eius.	9 When a powerful man invites you, be reserved; and he will invite you the more often.
10 Attende, ne seductus in stultitiam humilieris.	10 Do not push forward, lest you be repulsed; and do not remain at a distance, lest you be forgotten.
11 Noli esse humilis in sapientia tua, ne humiliatus in stultitiam seducaris.	11 Do not try to treat him as an equal, nor trust his abundance of words; for he will test you through much talk, and while he smiles he will be examining you.
12 Advocatus a potentiore discede, et eo magis te advocabit.	12 Cruel is he who does not keep words to himself; he will not hesitate to injure or to imprison.
13 Ne accedas, ne impingaris; et ne longe sis ab eo, ne eas in oblivionem.	13 Keep words to yourself and be very watchful, for you are walking about with your own downfall.
14 Ne retineas ex aequo loqui cum illo nec credas multis verbis illius; ex multa enim loquela tentabit te et subridens inquiret de absconditis tuis.	14 .
15 Immitis animus illius conservabit verba tua et non parcet de malitia et de vinculis.	15 Every creature loves its like, and every person his neighbor;
16 Cave tibi et attende diligenter auditui tuo, quoniam cum subversione tua ambulas.	16 all living beings associate by species, and a man clings to one like himself.
17 Audiens vero illa ex somno evigila.	17 What fellowship has a wolf with a lamb? No more has a sinner with a godly man.
18 Omni vita tua dilige Deum et invoca illum in salutem tuam.	18 What peace is there between a hyena and a dog? And what peace between a rich man and a poor man?
19 Omne animal diligit simile sibi: sic et omnis homo proximum sibi.	19 Wild asses in the wilderness are the prey of lions; likewise the poor are pastures for the rich.
20 Omnis caro ad similem sibi coniungetur, et omnis homo simili sui sociabitur.	20 Humility is an abomination to a proud man; likewise a poor man is an abomination to a rich one.
21 Quid communicabit lupus agno? Sic peccator iusto.	21 When a rich man totters, he is steadied by friends, but when a humble man falls, he is even pushed away by friends.
22 Quae pax hyaenae ad canem? Aut quae pars diviti ad pauperem?	22 If a rich man slips, his helpers are many; he speaks unseemly words, and they justify him. If a humble man slips, they even reproach him; he speaks sensibly, and receives no attention.
23 Venatio leonis onager in eremo, sic et pascua divitum sunt pauperes.	23 When the rich man speaks all are silent, and they extol to the clouds what he says. When the poor man speaks they say, "Who is this fellow?" And should he stumble, they even push him down.
24 Et sicut abominatio est superbo humilitas, sic et exsecratio divitis pauper.	24 Riches are good if they are free from sin, and poverty is evil in the opinion of the ungodly.
25 Dives commotus confirmatur ab amicis suis, humilis autem, cum ceciderit, expelletur et a notis.	25 A man's heart changes his countenance, either for good or for evil.
26 Diviti decepto multi recuperatores: locutus est nefaria, et iustificaverunt illum;	26 The mark of a happy heart is a cheerful face, but to devise proverbs requires painful thinking.
27 humilis deceptus est, insuper et arguitur: locutus est sensate, et non est datus ei locus.
28 Dives locutus est, et omnes tacuerunt, et verbum illius usque ad nubes perducent;
29 pauper locutus est, et dicunt: “ Quis est hic? ” et, si offenderit, insuper subvertent illum.
30 Bona est substantia, cui non est peccatum in conscientia, et nequissima paupertas in ore impii.
31 Cor hominis immutat faciem illius sive in bona sive in mala.
32 Vestigium cordis boni facies hilaris: difficile invenies et cum labore.