Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) Chapter 13

1 Qui ?? tetigerit ?? picem ?? inquinabitur ?? ab ?? ea ?? : et ?? qui ?? communicaverit ?? superbo ?? induet ?? superbiam ?? . He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.

2 Pondus ?? super ?? se ?? tollat ?? qui ?? honestiori ?? se ?? communicat ?? , et ?? ditiori ?? te ?? ne ?? socius ?? fueris ?? . He shall take a burden upon him that hath fellowship with one more honourable than himself. And have no fellowship with one that is richer than thyself.

3 Quid ?? communicabit ?? cacabus ?? ad ?? ollam ?? ? quando ?? enim ?? se ?? colliserint ?? , confringetur ?? . What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.

4 Dives ?? injuste ?? egit ?? , et ?? fremet ?? : pauper ?? autem ?? læsus ?? tacebit ?? . The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.

5 Si ?? largitus ?? fueris ?? , assumet ?? te ?? : et ?? si ?? non ?? habueris ?? , derelinquet ?? te ?? . If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.

6 Si ?? habes ?? , convivet ?? tecum ?? , et ?? evacuabit ?? te ?? : et ?? ipse ?? non ?? dolebit ?? super ?? te ?? . If thou have any thing, he will live with thee, and will make thee bare, and he will not be sorry for thee.

7 Si ?? necessarius ?? illi ?? fueris ?? , supplantabit ?? te ?? , et ?? subridens ?? spem ?? dabit ?? , narrans ?? tibi ?? bona ?? , et ?? dicet ?? : Quid ?? opus ?? est ?? tibi ?? ? If he have need of thee he will deceive thee, and smiling upon thee will put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and will say: What wantest thou?

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 ?? . And he will shame thee by his meats, till he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at last he will laugh at thee: and afterward when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.

9 Humiliare ?? Deo ?? , et ?? exspecta ?? manus ?? ejus ?? . Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.

10 Attende ?? ne ?? seductus ?? in ?? stultitiam ?? humilieris ?? . Beware that thou be not deceived into folly, and be humbled.

11 Noli ?? esse ?? humilis ?? in ?? sapientia ?? tua ?? , ne ?? humiliatus ?? in ?? stultitiam ?? seducaris ?? . Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.

12 Advocatus ?? a ?? potentiore ?? , discede ?? : ex ?? hoc ?? enim ?? magis ?? te ?? advocabit ?? . If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.

13 Ne ?? improbus ?? sis ?? , ne ?? impingaris ?? : et ?? ne ?? longe ?? sis ?? ab ?? eo ?? , ne ?? eas ?? in ?? oblivionem ?? . Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.

14 Ne ?? retineas ?? ex ?? æquo ?? loqui ?? cum ?? illo ?? , nec ?? credas ?? multis ?? verbis ?? illius ?? : ex ?? multa ?? enim ?? loquela ?? tentabit ?? te ?? , et ?? subridens ?? interrogabit ?? te ?? de ?? absconditis ?? tuis ?? . Affect not to speak with him as an equal: and believe not his many words: for by much talk he will sift thee, and smiling will examine thee concerning thy secrets.

15 Immitis ?? animus ?? illius ?? conservabit ?? verba ?? tua ?? : et ?? non ?? parcet ?? de ?? malitia ?? , et ?? de ?? vinculis ?? . His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.

16 Cave ?? tibi ?? , et ?? attende ?? diligenter ?? auditui ?? tuo ?? , quoniam ?? cum ?? subversione ?? tua ?? ambulas ?? : Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.

17 audiens ?? vero ?? illa ?? , quasi ?? in ?? somnis ?? vide ?? , et ?? vigilabis ?? . When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.

18 Omni ?? vita ?? tua ?? dilige ?? Deum ?? , et ?? invoca ?? illum ?? in ?? salute ?? tua ?? . Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.

19 Omne ?? animal ?? diligit ?? simile ?? sibi ?? , sic ?? et ?? omnis ?? homo ?? proximum ?? sibi ?? . Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.

20 Omnis ?? caro ?? ad ?? similem ?? sibi ?? conjungetur ?? , et ?? omnis ?? homo ?? simili ?? sui ?? sociabitur ?? . All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.

21 Si ?? communicabit ?? lupus ?? agno ?? aliquando ?? , sic ?? peccator ?? justo ?? . If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.

22 Quæ ?? communicatio ?? sancto ?? homini ?? ad ?? canem ?? ? aut ?? quæ ?? pars ?? diviti ?? ad ?? pauperem ?? ? What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?

23 Venatio ?? leonis ?? onager ?? in ?? eremo ?? : sic ?? et ?? pascua ?? divitum ?? sunt ?? pauperes ?? . The wild ass is the lion’s prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.

24 Et ?? sicut ?? abominatio ?? est ?? superbo ?? humilitas ?? , sic ?? et ?? execratio ?? divitis ?? pauper ?? . And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.

25 Dives ?? commotus ?? confirmatur ?? ab ?? amicis ?? suis ?? : humilis ?? autem ?? cum ?? ceciderit ?? , expelletur ?? et ?? a ?? notis ?? . When a rich man is shaken, he is kept up by his friends: but when a poor man is fallen down, he is thrust away even by his acquaintance.

26 Diviti ?? decepto ?? multi ?? recuperatores ?? : locutus ?? est ?? superbia ?? , et ?? justificaverunt ?? illum ?? . When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.

27 Humilis ?? deceptus ?? est ?? , insuper ?? et ?? arguitur ?? : locutus ?? est ?? sensate ?? , et ?? non ?? est ?? datus ?? ei ?? locus ?? . The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.

28 Dives ?? locutus ?? est ?? , et ?? omnes ?? tacuerunt ?? , et ?? verbum ?? illius ?? usque ?? ad ?? nubes ?? perducent ?? . The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.

29 Pauper ?? locutus ?? est ?? , et ?? dicunt ?? : Quis ?? est ?? hic ?? ? et ?? si ?? offenderit ?? , subvertent ?? illum ?? . The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.

30 Bona ?? est ?? substantia ?? cui ?? non ?? est ?? peccatum ?? in ?? conscientia ?? : et ?? nequissima ?? paupertas ?? in ?? ore ?? impii ?? . Riches are good to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is very wicked in the mouth of the ungodly.

31 Cor ?? hominis ?? immutat ?? faciem ?? illius ?? , sive ?? in ?? bona ?? , sive ?? in ?? mala ?? . The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.

32 Vestigium ?? cordis ?? boni ?? et ?? faciem ?? bonam ?? difficile ?? invenies ?? , et ?? cum ?? labore ?? . The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.