Wisdom of Sirach 13

1 Ο ΑΠΤΟΜΕΝΟΣ πίσσης μολυνθήσεται, καὶ ὁ κοινωνῶν ὑπερηφάνῳ ὁμοιωθήσεται αὐτῷ.

1 He that touches pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that has fellowship with a proud man shall be like to him.

2 βάρος ὑπὲρ σὲ μὴ ἄρῃς, καὶ ἰσχυροτέρῳ σου καὶ πλουσιωτέρῳ μὴ κοινώνει. τί κοινωνήσει χύτρα πρὸς λέβητα; αὕτη προσκρούσει, καὶ αὕτη συντριβήσεται.

2 Burden not yourself above your power while you live; and have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than yourself: for how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be struck against the other, it shall be broken.

3 πλούσιος ἠδίκησε, καὶ αὐτὸς προσενεβριμήσατο· πτωχὸς ἠδίκηται, καὶ αὐτὸς προσδεηθήσεται.

3 The rich man has done wrong, and yet he threatens withal: the poor is wronged, and he must entreat also.

4 ἐὰν χρησιμεύσῃς, ἐργᾶται ἐν σοί· καὶ ἐὰν ὑστερήσῃς, καταλείψει σε.

4 If you be for his profit, he will use you: but if you have nothing, he will forsake you.

5 ἐὰν ἔχῃς, συμβιώσεταί σοι καὶ ἀποκενώσει σε, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ πονέσει.

5 If you have any thing, he will live with you: yes, he will make you bare, and will not be sorry for it.

6 χρείαν ἔσχηκέ σου, καὶ ἀποπλανήσει σε καὶ προσγελάσεταί σοι καὶ δώσει σοι ἐλπίδα· λαλήσει σοι καλὰ καὶ ἐρεῖ· τίς ἡ χρεία σου;

6 If he have need of you, he will deceive you, and smile upon you, and put you in hope; he will speak you fair, and say, What want you?

7 καὶ αἰσχυνεῖ σε ἐν τοῖς βρώμασιν αὐτοῦ, ἕως οὗ ἀποκενώσῃ σε δὶς ἢ τρίς, καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων καταμωκήσεταί σου· μετὰ ταῦτα ὄψεταί σε καὶ καταλείψει σε καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ κινήσει ἐπὶ σοί.

7 And he will shame you by his meats, until he have drawn you dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh you to scorn afterward, when he sees you, he will forsake you, and shake his head at you.

8 πρόσεχε μὴ ἀποπλανηθῇς καὶ μὴ ταπεινωθῇς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ σου.

8 Beware that you be not deceived and brought down in your jollity.

9 Προσκαλεσαμένου σε δυνάστου, ὑποχωρῶν γίνου, καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον προσκαλέσεταί σε.

9 If you be invited of a mighty man, withdraw yourself, and so much the more will he invite you.

10 μὴ ἔμπιπτε, ἵνα μὴ ἀπωσθῇς, καὶ μὴ μακρὰν ἀφίστω, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιλησθῇς.

10 Press you not upon him, lest you be put back; stand not far off, lest you be forgotten.

11 μὴ ἔπεχε ἰσηγορεῖσθαι μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ πίστευε τοῖς πλείοσι λόγοις αὐτοῦ· ἐκ πολλῆς γὰρ λαλιᾶς πειράσει σε καὶ ὡς προσγελῶν ἐξετάσει σε.

11 Affect not to be made equal to him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication will he tempt you, and smiling upon you will get out your secrets:

12 ἀνελεήμων ὁ μὴ συντηρῶν λόγους καὶ οὐ μὴ φείσηται περὶ κακώσεως καὶ δεσμῶν.

12 But cruelly he will lay up your words, and will not spare to do you hurt, and to put you in prison.

13 συντήρησον καὶ πρόσεχε σφοδρῶς, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς πτώσεώς σου περιπατεῖς. [14 ἀκούων αὐτὰ ἐν ὕπνῳ σου γρηγόρησον· πάσῃ ζωῇ σου ἀγάπα τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐπικαλοῦ αὐτὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν σου].

13 Observe, and take good heed, for you walk in peril of your overthrowing: when you hear these things, awake in your sleep.

15 Πᾶν ζῷον ἀγαπᾷ τὸ ὅμοιον αὐτῷ καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ·

15 Every beast loves his like, and every man loves his neighbour.

16 πᾶσα σὰρξ κατὰ γένος συνάγεται, καὶ τῷ ὁμοίῳ αὐτοῦ προσκολληθήσεται ἀνήρ.

16 All flesh consorts according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.

17 τί κοινωνήσει λύκος ἀμνῷ; οὕτως ἁμαρτωλὸς πρὸς εὐσεβῆ.

17 What fellowship has the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.

18 τίς εἰρήνη ὑαίνῃ πρὸς κύνα; καὶ τίς εἰρήνη πλουσίῳ πρὸς πένητα;

18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?

19 κυνήγια λεόντων ὄναγροι ἐν ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως νομαὶ πλουσίων πτωχοί.

19 As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.

20 βδέλυγμα ὑπερηφάνῳ ταπεινότης, οὕτως βδέλυγμα πλουσίῳ πτωχός.

20 As the proud hate humility: so does the rich abhor the poor.

21 πλούσιος σαλευόμενος στηρίζεται ὑπὸ φίλων, ταπεινὸς δὲ πεσὼν προσαπωθεῖται ὑπὸ φίλων.

21 A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends.

22 πλουσίου σφαλέντος πολλοὶ ἀντιλήπτορες, ἐλάλησεν ἀπόρρητα καὶ ἐδικαίωσαν αὐτόν. ταπεινὸς ἔσφαλε καὶ προσεπετίμησαν αὐτῷ, ἐφθέγξατο σύνεσιν καὶ οὐκ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ τόπος.

22 When a rich man is fallen, he has many helpers: he speaks things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him: the poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; he spoke wisely, and could have no place.

23 πλούσιος ἐλάλησε καὶ πάντες ἐσίγησαν, καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἀνύψωσαν ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν. πτωχὸς ἐλάλησε καὶ εἶπαν· τίς οὗτος; κἂν προσκόψῃ, προσανατρέψουσιν αὐτόν.

23 When a rich man speaks, every man holds his tongue, and, look, what he says, they extol it to the clouds: but if the poor man speak, they say, What fellow is this? and if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.

24 ἀγαθὸς ὁ πλοῦτος, ᾧ μή ἐστιν ἁμαρτία, καὶ πονηρὰ ἡ πτωχεία ἐν στόματι ἀσεβοῦς.

24 Riches are good to him that has no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.

25 Καρδία ἀνθρώπου ἀλλοιοῖ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἐάν τε εἰς ἀγαθὰ ἐάν τε εἰς κακά.

25 The heart of a man changes his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.

26 ἴχνος καρδίας ἐν ἀγαθοῖς πρόσωπον ἱλαρόν, καὶ εὕρεσις παραβολῶν διαλογισμοὶ μετὰ κόπου.

26 A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity; and the finding out of parables is a wearisome labour of the mind.