Beware of the great
1 ① He who touches tar will be soiled; he who associates with an arrogant man will become like him.
2Do not carry too heavy a load; do not make friends with someone stronger and richer than you. Why put the earthen pot near the iron one? One will bang the other and break it.
3The rich man does wrong and is unconcerned; the poor man is insulted and apologizes.
4The rich man uses you as long as you are useful to him; when you have nothing left he deserts you.
5He will stay with you as long as you have something; he will drain you without a second thought.
6If he really needs you he will deceive you, smile at you and raise your hopes; he will speak smooth words and say, “What would you like?”
7He will show his gratitude by entertaining you until he has taken all you possess, and he will make fun of you in the end. Afterwards, when he sees you, he will have nothing to do with you, shaking his head when he meets you.
8Take care not to be deceived and humiliated through stupidity.
9When an influential person invites you, delay and he will call you all the more.
10Do not go so far forward that you are pushed aside or so far back that you are overlooked.
11Do not try to talk to him as an equal or trust his many words. With all this verbiage he is only trying to test you and, under pretense of kindness, he is weighing you up.
12He will repeat your words without pity and will not spare you either blows or chains. 13Be wary and take great care because you are walking with your own stumbling block.
14* 15All that lives loves its own kind and each person, his own neighbor.
16Every animal relates to its own species and man to his own kind.
17What has the wolf in common with the lamb? It is the same with the sinner and the virtuous man. 18What kind of peace can exist between the hyena and the dog? What peace between the rich man and the poor man?
19Wild donkeys are the prey of desert lions; so, also, are the poor the prey of the rich.
20The proud man hates humility; so, also, the poor man is detestable to the rich.
21When the rich man stumbles, his friends support him, but when the poor man falls, his friends desert him.
22When the rich man gets into trouble, there are many who come to his rescue; if he speaks nonsense, they congratulate him. When the poor man makes a mistake, they criticize him; if he speaks sensibly, they pay no attention. 23When the rich man speaks, all are silent and they praise his words to the skies. The poor man speaks and people ask, “Who is this?” And if he stumbles, they push him down.
24Wealth is good if there is no sin in it and poverty is evil when it is the reward for godlessness.
Enjoy life without being greedy
25Man’s heart is reflected in his face, for better or for worse.
26Does he show a happy face? All is going well to him. Has he found words of wisdom? He has reflected on suffering.
- Sir 13,1 This long paragraph is an invitation not to seek the company of those above us. Often the rich, those above, are godless, without conscience. The author points out the dangers: - those above take advantage of those who seek to become familiar with them; - to be admitted into the friendship of the rich, we have to accept many humiliations and to forget our own dignity; - contact with the rich will lead us to imitate their faults.
