1 Lending to your neighbor is an act of mercy, going to his aid fulfills the commandments.
2 Learn to lend to your neighbor when he is in need and, in turn, repay him any loan on time.
3 Keep your word, remain faithful and you will find what you need on every occasion.
4 Many think of a loan as a quick deal and put those who help them in a fix.
5 The moment they receive it, they kiss the hand of the moneylender and humble themselves in deference to his wealth. But on the day repayment is due, they prolong the time, repay with reproaches and blame the current situation.
6 If they can repay, they pay barely half and the moneylender will be grateful for that much. They have robbed him of his money and, moreover, he has gained enemies, for they repay him with curses and insults and reproaches instead of gratitude.
7 Many a good person refuses to lend, not for any malicious reason: he is afraid of being cheated without cause.
8 Nevertheless, be kind to those who have fallen on hard times, do not keep them waiting for your help.
9 For the commandments' sake, help the poor man; see his need and do not turn him away empty-handed.
10 Better to spend your money on a brother or friend than to let it rust under a stone, to your discredit.
11 Use your money according to the commandments of the Most High and you will find it more valuable than gold.
12 Fill your barns with good deeds and these will rescue you from misfortune.
13 They will fight for you against your enemy better than any strong shield and mighty spear.
14 A good man goes surety for his neighbor; the scoundrel leaves him to his fate.
15 Do not forget the favors of your guarantor: he has risked his life for you.
16 The sinner wastes his guarantor's money; the ungrateful man forgets the one who saved him.
17 Acting as guarantor has ruined many a good man and has tossed him like the waves of the sea.
18 It has banished powerful men and forced them to wander among foreign nations.
19 The sinner is anxious to be a guarantor but he will be condemned as a loan shark.
20 Help your neighbor as far as you can but beware of falling into the same plight.
21 Some things you cannot live without: water, bread, clothes and a house for shelter.
22 Better a poor man's life in his wooden shack than lavish banquets in another man's house.
23 Be content with whatever you have, be it great or small; this is better than to go elsewhere and be reproached as an outsider.
24 It is hard to go from house to house;
25 when you are an outsider, do not risk opening your mouth. You will eat and drink without much welcome and, on top of that, hear bitter remarks:
26 "Come, stranger, set the table and whatever you have, give it to me to eat."
27 "Be off, stranger, make room for somebody more important; my brother is coming to see me, I need the house."
28 It is hard for a good man to have hospitality denied him and to be treated like a debtor.
Versículos relacionados com Ecclesiasticus, 29:
Ecclesiastical 29 talks about the importance of friendship and money loan. The chapter begins with a reflection on the happiness of having true and reliable friends, and also addresses the theme of money loan to friends and the need to be careful on this subject. Based on these themes, below are five related verses:
Proverbs 17:17: "At all times the friend loves and for the time of anguish the brother is born." This verse talks about the importance of true friendship, which must be cultivated at all times, especially in difficult times.
Proverbs 19:17: "He who treats the poor well lends the Lord who will pay him for his benefit." This verse talks about kindness in helping the poor and needy, showing that lending money to those who need is a way to help others.
Proverbs 22:7: "The rich dominates over the poor, and what he borrows is a servant of what he lends." This verse addresses the danger of straightening and subordinate to the creditor, showing that it is important to act with financial wisdom.
Luke 6:34-35: "And if they lend to those of whom you expect to receive, what merit do you have? In return, and great will be your reward, and you shall be children of the Most High; for he is benign even to the ungrateful and evil. " This verse shows that we should lend not only to those we hope to receive back, but also to those who are not our friends and enemies, acting with love and generosity.
Romans 13:8: "No one should do anything but the love with which you love to each other; for the one who loves others fulfilled the law." This verse emphasizes the importance of not having anything to anyone, showing that it is important to be honest and just in all our financial and interpersonal relationships.
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