Sirach 13
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1HE that toucheth pitch, shalbe defiled with it:and he that is familiar with the proude, shal be like vnto him. 2Burthen not thy self aboue thy power, whiles thou liuest, and companie not with one that is mightier, and richer then thy self : for how agre the kettel and the earthen pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shalbe broken. 3The riche dealeth vnrighteously, and threatneth with all : but the poore being oppressed must intreat:if the riche haue done wrong, he must yet be intreated: but if the poore haue done it, he shal straight waise be threatned. 4If thou be for his profite , he vseth thee: but if thou haue nothing, he wil forsake thee. 5If thou haue anie thing, he wil liue with thee:yea, he wil make thee a bare man, and wil not care for it. 6If he haue nede of thee, he wil defraude thee, and wil laugh at thee, and put thee in hope, and giue thee all good wordes, & say, What wantest thou? 7Thus wil he shame thee in his meat, vntil he haue supt thee cleane vp twise or thrise, and at the last he wil laugh thee to scorne: afterwarde, when he seeth thee, he wil forsake thee, and shake his head at thee. 8[Submit thy self vnto God, & waite vpon his hand.] 9Beware that thou be not disceiued in thine owne conceit & broght downe by thy simplenes: [be not to humble in thy wisdome.] 10¶If thou be called of a mightie man, absent thy self : so shal he call thee the more oft. 11Prease not thou vnto him, that thou be not shut out, but go not thou farre of, lest he forget thee. 12Withdrawe not thy self from his speache, but beleue not his manie wordes:for with muche communication wil he tempt thee, and laughingly wil he grope thee. 13He is vnmerciful, & kepeth not promes: he wil not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison. 14Beware, & take good hede:for thou walkest in peril of thine ouerthrowing:when thou hearest this, awake in thy slepe. 15Loue the Lord all thy life, and call vpon him for thy saluacion. 16¶Euerie beast loueth his like , and euerie man loueth his neighbour. 17All flesh wil resorte to their like , & euerie man wil kepe companie with suche as he is him self. 18How can the wolfe agre with the lambe? no more can the vngodlie with the righteous. 19What felowship hathe hyena with a dogge? and what peace is betwene the riche and the poore? 20As the wilde asse is the lions praye in the wildernes, so are poore men the meat of the riche. 21As the proude hate humilitie , so do the riche abhorre the poore. 22If a riche man fall, his friends set him vp againe:but when the poore falleth, his friends driue him away. 23If a riche man offend, he hathe many helpers : he speaketh proude wordes, and yet men iustifie him : but if a poore man faile , they rebuke him , & thogh he speake wisely, yet can it haue no place. 24When the riche man speaketh, euerie man holdeth his tongue:and loke what he saith, they praise it vnto the cloudes : but if the poore man speake, they say, What felow is this? and if he do amisse, they wil destroie him. 25Riches are good vnto him that hathe no sinne [ in his conscience, ] and pouertie is euil in the mouth of the vngodlie. 26The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be in good or euil. 27A chearful countenance is a token of a good heart:for it is an hard thing to knowe the secrets of the thoght.
Chapters in Sirach