### Douay Rheims Bible

Sirach 12

## The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)

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| # Chapter 13
#### 1 | He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.
#### 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 | What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.
#### 4 | The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.
#### 5 | If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
#### 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 | 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 | 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.
#### 9 | Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.
#### 10 | Beware that thou be not deceived Into folly, and be humbled.
#### 11 | Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.
#### 12 | If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.
#### 13 | Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.
#### 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 | His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.
#### 16 | Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.
#### 17 | When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.
#### 18 | Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.
#### 19 | Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.
#### 20 | All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.
#### 21 | If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.
#### 22 | What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?
#### 23 | The wild ass is the lion's prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.
#### 24 | And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.
#### 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 | When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.
#### 27 | The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.
#### 28 | The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.
#### 29 | The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.
#### 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 | The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.
#### 32 | The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.

Sirach 14

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