1 Whoever touches pitch will be defiled, and anyone who associates with the proud will come to be like them.
2 Do not try to carry a burden too heavy for you, do not associate with someone more powerful and wealthy than yourself. Why put the clay pot next to the iron cauldron? It will only break when they bang against each other.
3 The rich does wrong and takes a high line; the poor is wronged and has to beg for pardon.
4 If you are useful the rich will exploit you, if you go bankrupt he will desert you.
5 Are you well off? - he will live with you, he will clean you out without a single qualm.
6 Does he need you? - he will hoodwink you, smile at you and raise your hopes; he will speak politely to you and say, 'Is there anything you need?'
7 He will make you feel small at his dinner parties and, having cleaned you out two or three times over, will end by laughing at you. Afterwards, when he sees you, he will avoid you and shake his head about you.
8 Take care you are not hoodwinked and thus humiliated through your own stupidity.
9 When an influential person invites you, show reluctance, and he will press his invitation all the more.
10 Do not thrust yourself forward, in case you are pushed aside, but do not stand aloof, or you will be overlooked.
11 Do not affect to treat him as an equal, do not trust his flow of words; since all this talking is expressly meant to test you, under cover of geniality he will be weighing you up.
12 Pitiless is anyone who retails gossip; he will not spare you either blows or chains.
13 Be wary, take very great care, because you are walking with your own downfall.
14
15 Every living thing loves its own sort, and every man his fellow.
16 Every creature mixes with its kind, and human beings stick to their own sort.
17 How can wolf and lamb agree? - Just so with sinner and devout.
18 What peace can there be between hyena and dog? And what peace between rich and poor?
19 Wild desert donkeys are the prey of lions; so too, the poor is the quarry of the rich.
20 The proud thinks humility abhorrent; so too, the rich abominates the poor.
21 When the rich stumbles he is supported by friends; when the poor falls, his friends push him away.
22 When the rich slips, there are many hands to catch him, if he talks nonsense he is congratulated. The poor slips, and is blamed for it, he may talk good sense, but no room is made for him.
23 The rich speaks and everyone stops talking, and then they praise his discourse to the skies. The poor speaks and people say, 'Who is this?' and if he stumbles, they trip him up yet more.
24 Wealth is good where there is no sin, poverty is evil, the godless say.
25 The heart moulds a person's expression whether for better or worse.
26 Happy heart, cheerful expression; but wearisome work, inventing proverbs.
Versículos relacionados com Ecclesiasticus, 13:
Chapter 13 of the Ecclesiastical Book talks about the consequences of making alliances with bad people and how friendship can influence our choices. The author warns of the importance of choosing wisely with whom we associate and advise to avoid getting involved with people who can lead us to sin. Below are five Bible verses that relate to these themes.
Proverbs 13:20: "He who walks with the wise will be increasingly wise, but the foolish companion will end up bad." This verse emphasizes the importance of choosing our friendships wisely, as the influence of the people around us can have a great impact on our lives.
2 Corinthians 6:14: "Don't put yourself in unequal yoke with disbelief. For what do justice and evil have? Or what communion can light with darkness?" This verse warns against the formation of alliances with wicked people, emphasizing that believers must separate from those who do not follow God.
1 Corinthians 15:33: "Don't be fooled: Bad company corrupts good morals." This verse emphasizes the negative influence that bad company can have in our lives and how important it is to choose friends who share our values.
Proverbs 22:24-25: "Don't make friends with those who get easily annoyed or walk in the company of someone living in constant explosions of anger; for you may end up learning your bad customs and get stuck in a trap." This verse emphasizes the importance of avoiding friendships with people whose anger can influence us negatively.
Psalm 1:1-2: "As he is happy who does not follow the advice of the wicked, he does not imitate the conduct of sinners, nor does he rest on the wheel of mocking! On the contrary, his satisfaction is in the law of the Lord, and in this law meditates day and night." This verse emphasizes the importance of choosing friends who share our values and help us grow in our relationship with God.
Capitoli: