Ecclesiasticus, 29

1. He does a kindness who lends to his neighbor, and he fulfills the precepts who holds out a helping hand.

1. Making your neighbour a loan is an act of mercy, to lend him a helping hand is to keep the commandments.

2. Lend to your neighbor in his hour of need, and pay back your neighbor when a loan falls due;

2. Lend to your neighbour in his time of need, and in your turn repay your neighbour on time.

3. Keep your promise, be honest with him, and you will always come by what you need.

3. Be as good as your word and keep faith with him, and you will find your needs met every time.

4. Many a man who asks for a loan adds to the burdens of those who help him;

4. Many treat a loan as a windfall, and embarrass those who have come to their rescue.

5. When he borrows, he kisses the lender's hand and speaks with respect of his creditor's wealth; But when payment is due he disappoints him and says he is helpless to meet the claim.

5. Until he gets something, a man will kiss his neighbour's hand, and refer diffidently to his wealth; but when the loan falls due, he puts this off, he repays with offhand words, and pleads the inconvenience of the time.

6. If the lender is able to recover barely half, he considers this an achievement; If not, he is cheated of his wealth and acquires an enemy at no extra charge; With curses and insults the borrower pays him back, with abuse instead of honor.

6. Even if he can be made to pay, his creditor will recover barely half, and consider even that a windfall. But otherwise he will be cheated of his money, and undeservedly gain himself an enemy; the man will pay him back in curses and abuse, and with insults of honour.

7. Many refuse to lend, not out of meanness, but from fear of being cheated.

7. Many, not out of malice, refuse to lend; they are merely anxious not to be cheated for nothing.

8. To a poor man, however, be generous; keep him not waiting for your alms;

8. Nevertheless, be patient with those who are badly off, do not keep them waiting on your generosity.

9. Because of the precept, help the needy, and in their want, do not send them away empty-handed.

9. In obedience to the commandment, help the poor; do not turn the poor away empty-handed in their need.

10. Spend your money for your brother and friend, and hide it not under a stone to perish;

10. Spend your money on your brother or your friend, do not leave it under a stone to rust away.

11. Dispose of your treasure as the Most High commands, for that will profit you more than the gold.

11. Use your wealth as the Most High has decreed; you will find that more profitable than gold.

12. Store up almsgiving in your treasure house, and it will save you from every evil;

12. Stock your store-rooms with almsgiving; this will save you from all misfortune.

13. Better than a stout shield and a sturdy spear it will fight for you against the foe.

13. Better than sturdy shield or weighty spear, this will fight for you against the enemy.

14. A good man goes surety for his neighbor, and only the shameless would play him false;

14. A good man will go surety for his neighbour; only a shameless wretch would desert him.

15. Forget not the kindness of your backer, for he offers his very life for you.

15. Do not forget the favour your guarantor has done you; he has given his life for you.

16. The wicked turn a pledge on their behalf into misfortune, and the ingrate abandons his protector;

16. A sinner is careless of his guarantor's prosperity, the ungrateful forgets his deliverer.

17. Going surety has ruined many prosperous men and tossed them about like waves of the sea,

17. Going surety has ruined many who were prosperous, tossing them about in a heavy sea.

18. Has exiled men of prominence and sent them wandering through foreign lands.

18. It has driven the powerful from home to wander among foreign nations.

19. The sinner through surety comes to grief, and he who undertakes too much falls into lawsuits.

19. A wicked man in a hurry to stand guarantor in the hope of profit, is hurrying to be sentenced.

20. Go surety for your neighbor according to your means, but take care lest you fall thereby.

20. Come to your neighbour's help as far as you can, but take care not to fall into the same plight.

21. Life's prime needs are water, bread, and clothing, a house, too, for decent privacy.

21. The first thing in life is water, and bread, and clothing, and a house for the sake of privacy.

22. Better a poor man's fare under the shadow of one's own roof than sumptuous banquets among strangers.

22. Better the life of the poor under a roof of planks, than lavish fare in somebody else's house.

23. Be it little or much, be content with what you have, and pay no heed to him who would disparage your home;

23. Whether you have little or much, be content with it, and you will not hear your household complaining.

24. A miserable life it is to go from house to house, for as a guest you dare not open your mouth.

24. It is a miserable life, going from house to house; wherever you stay, you dare not open your mouth,

25. The visitor has no thanks for filling the cups; besides, you will hear these bitter words:

25. you do not belong, you receive no thanks for the drink you pour out and hear embittering words into the bargain:

26. "Come here, stranger, set the table, give me to eat the food you have!

26. 'Come along, stranger, lay the table, what have you got ready? give me something to eat!'

27. Away, stranger, for one more worthy; for my brother's visit I need the room!"

27. 'Go away, stranger, make room for someone important; my brother is coming to stay, I need the house.'

28. Painful things to a sensitive man are abuse at home and insults from his creditors.

28. It is hard for the reasonable to be begrudged hospitality to be shamed like a debtor.