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Sirach 11:29-14:2; Be careful in choosing friends. Lesson Three. Distrust the wicked Do not bring everyone home with you, for many are the traps of the crafty. Like a captive partridge in a cage, so is the heart of the proud: like a spy he watches for your downfall, ever on the look-out, turning good into bad and finding fault with what is praiseworthy. A heart full of glowing coals starts with a single spark, and the sinner lurks for the chance to spill blood. Beware of a scoundrel and his evil contrivances, in case he puts a smear on you for ever. Give a home to a stranger and he will start trouble and estrange you from your own family. Rules for doing good If you mean to do a kindness, choose the right person, then your good deeds will not be wasted. Do good to someone devout, and you will be rewarded, if not by that person, then certainly by the Most High. No good will come to one who persists in evil, or who refuses to give alms. Give to the devout, do not go to the help of a sinner. Do good to the humble, give nothing to the godless. Refuse him bread, do not give him any, it might make him stronger than you are; then you would be repaid twice over for all the good you had done him. For the Most High himself detests sinners, and will repay the wicked with what they deserve. Give to the good, and do not go to the help of a sinner. True and false friends In prosperity you cannot always tell a true friend, but in adversity you cannot mistake an enemy. When someone is doing well that person's enemies are sad, when someone is doing badly, even a friend will keep at a distance. Do not ever trust an enemy; as bronze tarnishes, so does an enemy's malice. Even if he behaves humbly and comes bowing and scraping, maintain your reserve and be on your guard against him. Behave towards him as if you were polishing a mirror, you will find that his tarnish cannot last. Do not seat him on your right, or he will be after your position, and then you will remember what I have said and sadly admit that I was right. Who feels sorry for a snake-charmer bitten by a snake? - just so for one who consorts with a sinner, and becomes an accomplice in his sins. He will stay with you for a while, but if you once give way he will press his advantage. An enemy may have sweetness on his lips, and in his heart a scheme to throw you into the ditch. An enemy may have tears in his eyes, but if he gets a chance there can never be too much blood for him. If you meet with misfortune, you will find him there before you, and, pretending to help you, he will trip you up. He will wag his head and clap his hands, he will whisper a lot and his expression will change. Mix with your equals Whoever touches pitch will be defiled, and anyone who associates with the proud will come to be like them. Do not try to carry a burden too heavy for you, do not associate with someone more powerful and wealthy than yourself. Why put the clay pot next to the iron cauldron? It will only break when they bang against each other. The rich does wrong and takes a high line; the poor is wronged and has to beg for pardon. If you are useful the rich will exploit you, if you go bankrupt he will desert you. Are you well off? - he will live with you, he will clean you out without a single qualm. Does he need you? - he will hoodwink you, smile at you and raise your hopes; he will speak politely to you and say, 'Is there anything you need?' He will make you feel small at his dinner-parties and, having cleaned you out two or three times over, will end by laughing at you. Afterwards, when he sees you, he will avoid you and shake his head about you. Take care you are not hoodwinked and thus humiliated through your own stupidity. When an influential person invites you, show reluctance, and he will press his invitation all the more. Do not thrust yourself forward, in case you are pushed aside, but do not stand aloof, or you will be overlooked. Do not affect to treat him as an equal, do not trust his flow of words; since all his talking is expressly meant to test you, under cover of geniality he will be weighing you up. Pitiless is anyone who retails gossip; he will not spare you either blows or chains. Be wary, take very great care, because you are walking with your own downfall. Every living thing loves its own sort, and every man his fellow. Every creature mixes with its kind, and human beings stick to their own sort. How can a wolf and lamb agree? - Just so with sinner and devout. What peace can there be between hyena and dog? And what peace between rich and poor? Wild desert donkeys are the prey of lions so too, the poor is the quarry of the rich. The proud thinks humility abhorrent; so too, the rich abominates the poor. When the rich stumbles he is supported by friends; when the poor falls, his friends push him away. When the rich slips, there are many hands to catch him, if he talks nonsense he is congratulated. The poor slips, and is blamed for it, he may talk good sense, but no room is made for him. The rich speaks and everyone stops talking, and then they praise his discourse to the skies. The poor speaks and people say, 'Who is this?' and if he stumbles, they trip him up yet more. Wealth is good where there is no sin, poverty is evil, the godless say. A person's heart moulds his expression whether for better or worse. Happy heart, cheerful expression; but wearisome work, inventing proverbs. True happiness Blessed is anyone who has not sinned in speech and who needs feel no remorse for sins Blessed is anyone whose conscience does not reproach him and who has never given up hope. |
