Be careful in choosing friends
Be careful about the kind of person you invite into your home, because clever people can fool you in many ways. A proud person is a decoy to lure you into danger; like a spy, he will look for your weaknesses. He will make good appear evil and find fault with the noblest actions. A single spark can set a pile of coals ablaze, and a sinner is just waiting for a chance to do violence. Watch out for such people and their evil plans; they will ruin you permanently. If you bring a stranger home with you, it will only cause trouble, even between you and your family.
When you do a good deed, make sure you know who is benefiting from it; then what you do will not be wasted. You will be repaid for any kindness you show to a devout person. If doesn't repay you, the Most High will. No good ever comes to a person who gives comfort to the wicked; it is not a righteous act. Give to religious people, but don't help sinners. Do good to humble people, but don't give anything to those who are not devout. Don't give them food, or they will use your kindness against you. Every good thing you do for such people will bring you twice as much trouble in return. The Most High himself hates sinners, and he will punish them. Give to good people, but do not help sinners.
When you are going well, it is hard to tell who your friends are, but in hard times, you can recognize your enemies; even your friends will leave you then. But when you are successful, your enemies will act like friends. Never trust an enemy; his wickedness is as destructive as rust. Watch out, and be on guard against him, even if he acts ever so humble. He is like a metal mirror that rusts away if you don't keep it polished. Seat an enemy at your right hand, and the next thing you know he'll be trying to get your own place of honor. Put him next to you, and he will overthrow you. Then you will realize the truth of my words, and be stung with regret when you remember them. Nobody feels sorry for snake charmers or wild animal tamers who get bitten, and nobody will feel sorry for you if you run around with sinners and get involved in their wrong doing.
An enemy will stay with you for a while, but not when trouble comes. He will speak fine words while he plots how to trap you. He will pretend to share your sorrows, but he will kill you if he gets a chance. If trouble comes your way, you will find him waiting, ready to trip you up while he pretends to help you. He will be a different person then, rubbing his hands, nodding his head, and spreading rumors about you.
If you touch tar, it will stick to you, and if you keep company with arrogant people, you will come to be just like them. Don't try to lift something to heavy for you, and don't keep company with people who are richer and more powerful than you. You cannot keep a clay pot next to an iron kettle; the pot will break if it hits the kettle. If a rich person wrongs someone, he can afford to add insult to injury; but if a poor person is wronged, he is forced to apologize for himself. A rich person will use you as long as he can profit from it, but when you need him, he will leave you helpless. He will live with you as long as you have anything and will gladly drain you dry. If he needs you, he will trick you with his smiles, and cheerful, kindly words. "Do you need anything?" he will ask. He will feed you until you embarrassed. Finally, when he has drained you two or three times over, he will laugh at you. If you see him later, he will pretend he doesn't know you, and will pass you by.
Be careful not to be misled; you can be enjoying yourself and suddenly find yourself humiliated. If you are invited to the home of someone influential, be reserved in your behavior. Then he will invite you more often. If you push yourself on him, he will put you in yourself. On the other hand, if you keep your distance from him, he will forget about you. Don't pretend to be his equal or trust everything he says. In spite of all his long and polite conversation, he is testing you.
If a person does not keep confidences, he is cruel; he will not hesitate to hurt you or have you put on jail. Keep your secrets to your self and be careful for you are always walking on dangerous ground.
Every creature prefers its own kind, and people are no different. Just as animals of the same species flock together, so people keep company with people like themselves. A sinner has no in common with a devout person than a wolf has with a lamb. Rich people have no more in common with poor people than hyenas have with dogs. The rich hunt the poor just as lions hunt down wild donkeys in open country. Arrogant people have nothing but scorn for the humble, and the rich think of the poor in the same way. When a rich person stumbles, his friends will steady him, but if a poor person falls, his friends will have nothing to do with him. When someone rich makes a mistake, there are many people to cover up for him and explain away all the things he never should have said. But let someone poor make a mistake, and he gets nothing but criticism. Even if what he says makes good sense, nobody will listen. When a rich person speaks, everyone is silent, and they praise him to the skies for what he says. But let a poor person speak, and everybody says, "Who is that?" They push him down if he so much as stumbles.
There is nothing wrong with being rich if you haven't sinned to get that way. But there is nothing sinful about being poor, either. Only the ungodly think so. It's what is in your heart that make the expression on your face happy or sad. If you feel cheerful, although making up proverbs call for some intense thought. If a person never says anything carelessly, he is to be congratulated; he doesn't need to feel guilty. If a person has a clear conscience and never gives up hope, he certainly to be congratulated!
When you are going well, it is hard to tell who your friends are, but in hard times, you can recognize your enemies; even your friends will leave you then. But when you are successful, your enemies will act like friends. Never trust an enemy; his wickedness is as destructive as rust. Watch out, and be on guard against him, even if he acts ever so humble. He is like a metal mirror that rusts away if you don't keep it polished. Seat an enemy at your right hand, and the next thing you know he'll be trying to get your own place of honor. Put him next to you, and he will overthrow you. Then you will realize the truth of my words, and be stung with regret when you remember them. Nobody feels sorry for snake charmers or wild animal tamers who get bitten, and nobody will feel sorry for you if you run around with sinners and get involved in their wrong doing.
An enemy will stay with you for a while, but not when trouble comes. He will speak fine words while he plots how to trap you. He will pretend to share your sorrows, but he will kill you if he gets a chance. If trouble comes your way, you will find him waiting, ready to trip you up while he pretends to help you. He will be a different person then, rubbing his hands, nodding his head, and spreading rumors about you.If you touch tar, it will stick to you, and if you keep company with arrogant people, you will come to be just like them. Don't try to lift something to heavy for you, and don't keep company with people who are richer and more powerful than you. You cannot keep a clay pot next to an iron kettle; the pot will break if it hits the kettle. If a rich person wrongs someone, he can afford to add insult to injury; but if a poor person is wronged, he is forced to apologize for himself. A rich person will use you as long as he can profit from it, but when you need him, he will leave you helpless. He will live with you as long as you have anything and will gladly drain you dry. If he needs you, he will trick you with his smiles, and cheerful, kindly words. "Do you need anything?" he will ask. He will feed you until you embarrassed. Finally, when he has drained you two or three times over, he will laugh at you. If you see him later, he will pretend he doesn't know you, and will pass you by.
Be careful not to be misled; you can be enjoying yourself and suddenly find yourself humiliated. If you are invited to the home of someone influential, be reserved in your behavior. Then he will invite you more often. If you push yourself on him, he will put you in yourself. On the other hand, if you keep your distance from him, he will forget about you. Don't pretend to be his equal or trust everything he says. In spite of all his long and polite conversation, he is testing you.
If a person does not keep confidences, he is cruel; he will not hesitate to hurt you or have you put on jail. Keep your secrets to your self and be careful for you are always walking on dangerous ground.
Every creature prefers its own kind, and people are no different. Just as animals of the same species flock together, so people keep company with people like themselves. A sinner has no in common with a devout person than a wolf has with a lamb. Rich people have no more in common with poor people than hyenas have with dogs. The rich hunt the poor just as lions hunt down wild donkeys in open country. Arrogant people have nothing but scorn for the humble, and the rich think of the poor in the same way. When a rich person stumbles, his friends will steady him, but if a poor person falls, his friends will have nothing to do with him. When someone rich makes a mistake, there are many people to cover up for him and explain away all the things he never should have said. But let someone poor make a mistake, and he gets nothing but criticism. Even if what he says makes good sense, nobody will listen. When a rich person speaks, everyone is silent, and they praise him to the skies for what he says. But let a poor person speak, and everybody says, "Who is that?" They push him down if he so much as stumbles.
There is nothing wrong with being rich if you haven't sinned to get that way. But there is nothing sinful about being poor, either. Only the ungodly think so. It's what is in your heart that make the expression on your face happy or sad. If you feel cheerful, although making up proverbs call for some intense thought. If a person never says anything carelessly, he is to be congratulated; he doesn't need to feel guilty. If a person has a clear conscience and never gives up hope, he certainly to be congratulated!
SIRACH 11:29 - 14:2
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