Plain text of Sirach 13
13:1 He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
13:2 Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest; and have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself: for how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken.
13:3 The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.
13:4 If thou be for his profit, he will use thee; but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
13:5 If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
13:6 If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, and smile upon thee, and put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou?
13:7 And he will shame thee by his meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh thee to scorn: afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.
13:8 Beware that thou be not deceived, and brought down in thy jollity.
13:9 If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.
13:10 Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.
13:11 Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication will he tempt thee, and smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets:
13:12 but cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.
13:13 Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.
13:15 Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbour.
13:16 All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.
13:17 What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.
13:18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?
13:19 As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.
13:20 As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.
13:21 A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust also away by his friends.
13:22 When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: he speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him: the poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; he spake wisely, and could have no place.
13:23 When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and, look, what he saith, 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.
13:24 Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.
13:25 The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil.
13:26 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.