Liber Ecclesiasticus, 13

1. qui tetigerit picem inquinabitur ab illa et qui communicaverit superbo inducet superbiam

1. He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.

2. pondus super se tollit qui honestiori communicat et ditiori te ne socius fueris

2. He shall take a burden upon him that hath fellowship with one more honour- able than himself. And have no fellow- ship with one that is richer than thyself.

3. quid communicabit caccabus ad ollam quando enim conliserint confringetur

3. What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.

4. dives iniuste egit et fremebit pauper autem læsus tacebit

4. The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.

5. si largitus fueris adsumet te et si non habueris derelinquet te

5. If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.

6. si habes convivet tecum et evacuabit te et ipse non dolebit super te

6. If thou have any thing, he will live with thee, and will make thee bare, and he will not be sorry for thee.

7. si necessarius illi fueris subplantabit te et subridens spem dabit narrans tibi bona et dicet quid opus est tibi

7. If he have need of thee he will deceive thee, and smiling upon thee will put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and will say: What wantest thou?

8. et confundet te in cibis suis donec te exinaniat bis et ter et in novissimo derideat te postea videns derelinquet te et caput suum movebit ad te

8. And he will shame thee by his meats, till he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at last he will laugh at thee: and afterward when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.

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9. Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.

10. adtende ne seductus in stultitiam humilieris

10. Beware that thou be not deceived Into folly, and be humbled.

11. noli esse humilis in sapientia tua ne humiliatus in stultitiam seducaris

11. Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.

12. advocatus a potentiore discede ex hoc enim magis te advocabit

12. If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.

13. ne inprobus sis ne inpingaris et longe abesto ne eas in oblivionem

13. Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.

14. ne retineas ex æquo loqui cum illo ne credas multis verbis illius ex multa enim loquella temptabit te et subridens interrogabit te de absconditis tuis

14. Affect not to speak with him as an equal: and believe not his many words: for by much talk he will sift thee, and smiling will examine thee concerning thy secrets.

15. inmitis animus illius conservabit verba tua et non parcet de malitia et de vinculis

15. His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.

16. cave tibi et adtende diligenter auditui tuo quoniam cum subversione tua ambulas

16. Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.

17. audiens vero illa quasi in somnis vide et vigilabis

17. When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.

18. omni vita tua dilige Deum et invoca eum in salute tua

18. Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.

19. omne animal diligit similem sibi sic et omnis homo proximum sibi

19. Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.

20. omnis caro ad similem sibi coniungitur et omnis homo simili sui sociabitur

20. All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.

21. si communicabit lupus agno aliquando sic peccator justo

21. If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.

22. quæ communicatio sancto homini ad canem aut quæ pax bona diviti ad pauperem

22. What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?

23. venatio leonis onager in heremo sic pascua sunt divitum pauperes

23. The wild ass is the lion's prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.

24. et sicut abominatio est superbo humilitas sic execratio divitis pauper

24. And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.

25. dives commotus confirmatur ab amicis humilis autem cum ceciderit expellitur et a notis

25. When a rich man is shaken, he is kept up by his friends: but when a poor man is fallen down, he is thrust away even by his acquaintance.

26. diviti decepto multi recuperatores locutus est superba et justificaverunt illum

26. When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.

27. humilis deceptus est et insuper arguitur locutus est sensate et non est datus ei locus

27. The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.

28. dives locutus est et omnes tacuerunt et verbum illius usque ad nubes perducent

28. The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.

29. pauper locutus est et dicunt quis est hic et si offenderit subvertunt illum

29. The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.

30. bona est substantia cui non est peccatum in conscientia et nequissima paupertas in ore impii

30. Riches are good to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is very wicked in the mouth of the ungodly.

31. cor hominis inmutat faciem illius sive in bona sive in mala

31. The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.

32. vestigium cordis boni et faciem bonam difficile invenies et cum labore

32. The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.