Sefarim
Ben Sira12
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 12
When thou wilt do good know to whom thou doest it; so shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.
Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompence; and if not from him, yet from the most High.
There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, nor to him that giveth no alms.
Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner.
Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, lest he overmaster thee thereby: for
else thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done unto him.
For the most High hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance unto the ungodly, and keepeth them against the mighty day of their punishment.
Give unto the good, and help not the sinner.
A friend cannot be known in prosperity: and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.
In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved: but in his adversity even a friend will depart.
Never trust thine enemy: for like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness.
Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him, and thou shalt be unto him as if thou hadst wiped a lookingglass, and thou shalt know that his rust hath not been altogether wiped away.
Set him not by thee, lest, when he hath overthrown thee, he stand up in thy place; neither let him sit at thy right hand, lest he seek to take thy seat, and thou at the last remember my words, and be pricked therewith.
Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, or any such as come nigh wild beasts?
So one that goeth to a sinner, and is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity?
For a while he will abide with thee, but if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry.
An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood.
If adversity come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first; and though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee.
He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.
Sefarim
Ben Sira13
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 13
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
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.
The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.
If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
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?
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.
Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy jollity.
If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.
Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.
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:
But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.
Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.
Love the master all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.
Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbor.
All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.
What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.
What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?
As the wild ass is the lion’s prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.
As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.
A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends.
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.
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.
Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.
The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.
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.
Sefarim
Ben Sira14
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 14
Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth, and is not pricked with the multitude of sins.
Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him, and who is not fallen from his hope in the master.
Riches are not comely for a niggard: and what should an envious man do with money?
He that gathereth by defrauding his own nephesh gathereth for others, that shall spend his goods riotously.
He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods.
There is none worse than he that envieth himself; and this is a recompence of his wickedness.
And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly; and at the last he will declare his wickedness.
The envious man hath a wicked eye; he turneth away his face, and despiseth men.
A covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion; and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his nephesh.
A wicked eye envieth
his bread, and he is a niggard at his table.
My son, according to thy ability do good to thyself, and give the master his due offering.
Remember that death will not be long in coming, and that the b'rit of the grave is not shewed unto thee.
Do good unto thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him.
Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good desire overpass thee.
Shalt thou not leave thy travails unto another? and thy labours to be divided by lot?
Give, and take, and sanctify thy nephesh; for there is no seeking of dainties in the grave.
All flesh waxeth old as a garment: for the b'rit from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death.
As of the green leaves on a thick tree, some fall, and some grow; so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.
Every work rotteth and consumeth away, and the worker thereof shall go withal.
Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom, and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding. ing.
He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets.
Go after her as one that traceth, and lie in wait in her ways.
He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors.
He that doth lodge near her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls.
He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a lodging where good things are.
He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches.
By her he shall be covered from heat, and in her glory shall he dwell.