Wisdom of Sirach 12

1 ΕΑΝ εὖ ποιῇς, γνῶθι τίνι ποιεῖς, καὶ ἔσται χάρις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς σου.

1 When you will do good know to whom you do it; so shall you be thanked for your benefits.

2 εὖ ποίησον εὐσεβεῖ, καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνταπόδομα καὶ εἰ μὴ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ Ὑψίστου.

2 Do good to the godly man, and you shall find a recompence; and if not from him, yet from the most High.

3 οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἐνδελεχίζοντι εἰς κακὰ καὶ τῷ ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ χαριζομένῳ.

3 There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, nor to him that gives no alms.

4 δὸς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ.

4 Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner.

5 εὖ ποίησον τῷ ταπεινῷ καὶ μὴ δῷς ἀσεβεῖ· ἐμπόδισον τοὺς ἄρτους αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐν αὐτοῖς σε δυναστεύσῃ· διπλάσια γὰρ κακὰ εὑρήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς, οἷς ἂν ποιήσῃς αὐτῷ.

5 Do well to him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: hold back your bread, and give it not to him, lest he overmaster you thereby: for [else] you shall receive twice as much evil for all the good you shall have done to him.

6 ὅτι καὶ ὁ Ὓψιστος ἐμίσησεν ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἀποδώσει ἐκδίκησιν.

6 For the most High hates sinners, and will repay vengeance to the ungodly, and keeps them against the mighty day of their punishment.

7 δὸς τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβου τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ.

7 Give to the good, and help not the sinner.

8 Οὐκ ἐκδικηθήσεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ὁ φίλος καὶ οὐ κρυβήσεται ἐν κακοῖς ὁ ἐχθρός.

8 A friend can’t be known in prosperity: and an enemy can’t be hidden in adversity.

9 ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδρὸς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν λύπῃ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ φίλος διαχωρισθήσεται.

9 In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved: but in his adversity even a friend will depart.

10 μὴ πιστεύσῃς τῷ ἐχθρῷ σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκὸς ἰοῦται, οὕτως ἡ πονηρία αὐτοῦ.

10 Never trust your enemy: for like as iron rusts, so is his wickedness.

11 καὶ ἐὰν ταπεινωθῇ καὶ πορεύηται συγκεκυφώς, ἐπίστησον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσῃ αὐτῷ ὡς ἐκμεμαχὼς ἔσοπτρον, καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τέλος κατίωσε.

11 Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him, and you shall be to him as if you had wiped a lookingglass, and you shall know that his rust has not been altogether wiped away.

12 μὴ στήσῃς αὐτὸν παρὰ σεαυτῷ, μὴ ἀνατρέψας σε στῇ ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον σου· μὴ καθίσῃς αὐτὸν ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, μήποτε ζητήσῃ τὴν καθέδραν σου καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων ἐπιγνώσῃ τοὺς λόγους μου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ρημάτων μου κατανυγήσῃ.

12 Set him not by you, lest, when he has overthrown you, he stand up in your place; neither let him sit at your right hand, lest he seek to take your seat, and you at the last remember my words, and be pricked therewith.

13 τίς ἐλεήσει ἐπαοιδὸν ὀφιόδηκτον καὶ πάντας τοὺς προσάγοντας θηρίοις;

13 Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, or any such as come near wild beasts?

14 οὕτως τὸν προσπορευόμενον ἀνδρὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ συμφυρόμενον ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτοῦ.

14 So one that goes to a sinner, and is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity?

15 ὥραν μετὰ σοῦ διαμενεῖ, καὶ ἐὰν ἐκκλίνῃς, οὐ μὴ καρτερήσῃ.

15 For a while he will abide with you, but if you begin to fall, he will not wait.

16 καὶ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ γλυκανεῖ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ βουλεύσεται ἀνατρέψαι σε εἰς βόθρον· ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ δακρύσει ὁ ἐχθρός, καὶ ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρόν, οὐκ ἐμπλησθήσεται ἀφ᾿ αἵματος.

16 An enemy speaks sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagines how to throw you into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood.

17 κακὰ ἂν ὑπαντήσῃ σοι, εὑρήσεις αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ πρότερόν σου, καὶ ὡς βοηθῶν ὑποσχάσει πτέρναν σου·

17 If adversity come upon you, you shall find him there first; and though he pretend to help you, yet shall he undermine you.

18 κινήσει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπικροτήσει ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ πολλὰ διαψιθυρίσει καὶ ἀλλοιώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.

18 He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.