Sirach 13 — UBES

13Verse 1He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith;
And he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
^{Verse 2}Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest;
And have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself:
For how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together?
For if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken.^{Verse 3}The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal:
The poor is wronged, and he must entreat also.
^{Verse 4}If thou be for his profit, he will use thee;
But if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
^{Verse 5}If thou have anything, he will live with thee:
Yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
^{Verse 6}If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee,
And smile upon thee, and put thee in hope;
He will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou?
^{Verse 7}And he will shame thee by his meats,
Until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice,
And at the last he will laugh thee to scorn:
Afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee,
And shake his head at thee.
^{Verse 8}Beware that thou be not deceived,
And brought down in thy jollity.^{Verse 9}If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself,
And so much the more will he invite thee.
^{Verse 10}Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back;
Stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.
^{Verse 11}Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk,
And believe not his many words:
For with much communication will he tempt thee,
And smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets:
^{Verse 12}But cruelly he will lay up thy words,
And will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.
^{Verse 13}Observe, and take good heed,
For thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing:
When thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.^{Verse 15}Every beast loveth his like,
And every man loveth his neighbor.
^{Verse 16}All flesh consorteth according to kind,
And a man will cleave to his like.
^{Verse 17}What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb?
So the sinner with the godly.
^{Verse 18}What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog?
And what peace between the rich and the poor?
^{Verse 19}As the wild ass is the lion’s prey in the wilderness:
So the rich eat up the poor.
^{Verse 20}As the proud hate humility:
So doth the rich abhor the poor.^{Verse 21}A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends:
But a poor man being down is thrust also away by his friends.
^{Verse 22}When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers:
He speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him:
The poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too;
He spoke wisely, and could have no place.
^{Verse 23}When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue,
And, look, what he saith, they extol it to the clouds:
But if the poor man speak, they say, What fellow is this?
And if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.
^{Verse 24}Riches are good unto him that hath no sin,
And poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.^{Verse 25}The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil.
^{Verse 26}A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity;
And the finding out of parables is a wearisome labor of the mind.