Sirach 12

1If thou do good, know to whom thou dost it, and there shall be much thanks for thy good deeds.

2Do good to the just, and thou shalt find great recompense: and if not of him, assuredly of the Lord.

3For there is no good for him that is always occupied in evil, and that giveth no alms: for the Highest hateth sinners, and hath mercy on the penitent.

4Give to the merciful and uphold not the sinner: God will repay vengeance to the ungodly and to sinners, and keep them against the day of vengeance.

5Give to the good, and receive not a sinner.

6Do good to the humble, and give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not to him, lest thereby he overmaster thee.

7For thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done to him: for the Highest also hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance to the ungodly.

8A friend shall not be known in prosperity, and an enemy shall not be hidden in adversity.

9In the prosperity of a man, his enemies are grieved: and a friend is known in his adversity.

10Never trust thy enemy for as a brass pot his wickedness rusteth:

11Though he humble himself and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him.

12Set him not by thee, neither let him sit on thy right hand, lest he turn into thy place, and seek to take thy seat and at the last thou acknowledge my words, and be pricked with my sayings.

13Who will pity an enchanter struck by a serpent, or any that come near wild beasts? so is it with him that keepeth company with a wicked man, and is involved in his sins.

14For an hour he will abide with thee: but if thou begin to decline, he will not endure it.

15An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he lieth in wait, to throw thee into a pit.

16An enemy weepeth with his eyes: but if he find an opportunity he will not be satisfied with blood:

17And if evils come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first.

18An enemy hath tears in his eyes, and while he pretendeth to help thee, will undermine thy feet.

19He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.

1Si benefeceris, scito cui feceris, et erit gratia in bonis tuis multa.

2Benefac justo, et invenies retributionem magnam : et si non ab ipso, certe a Domino.

3Non est enim ei bene qui assiduus est in malis, et eleemosynas non danti : quoniam et Altissimus odio habet peccatores, et misertus est pœnitentibus.

4Da misericordi, et ne suscipias peccatorem : et impiis et peccatoribus reddet vindictam, custodiens eos in diem vindictæ.

5Da bono, et non receperis peccatorem.

6Benefac humili, et non dederis impio : prohibe panes illi dari, ne in ipsis potentior te sit :

7nam duplicia mala invenies in omnibus bonis quæcumque feceris illi, quoniam et Altissimus odio habet peccatores, et impiis reddet vindictam.

8Non agnoscetur in bonis amicus, et non abscondetur in malis inimicus.

9In bonis viri, inimici illius in tristitia : et in malitia illius, amicus agnitus est.

10Non credas inimico tuo in æternum : sicut enim æramentum æruginat nequitia illius :

11et si humiliatus vadat curvus, adjice animum tuum, et custodi te ab illo.

12Non statuas illum penes te, nec sedeat ad dexteram tuam, ne forte conversus in locum tuum, inquirat cathedram tuam, et in novissimo agnosces verba mea, et in sermonibus meis stimuleris.

13Quis miserebitur incantatori a serpente percusso, et omnibus qui appropiant bestiis? et sic qui comitatur cum viro iniquo, et obvolutus est in peccatis ejus.

14Una hora tecum permanebit : si autem declinaveris, non supportabit.

15In labiis suis indulcat inimicus, et in corde suo insidiatur ut subvertat te in foveam.

16In oculis suis lacrimatur inimicus, et si invenerit tempus, non satiabitur sanguine.

17Et si incurrerint tibi mala, invenies eum illic priorem.

18In oculis suis lacrimatur inimicus, et quasi adjuvans suffodiet plantas tuas.

19Caput suum movebit, et plaudet manu, et multa susurrans commutabit vultum suum.

1ἐὰν εὖ ποιῇς γνῶθι τίνι ποιεῖς καὶ ἔσται χάρις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς σου

2εὖ ποίησον εὐσεβεῖ καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνταπόδομα καὶ εἰ μὴ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ ὑψίστου

3οὐκ ἔσται ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἐνδελεχίζοντι εἰς κακὰ καὶ τῷ ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ χαριζομένῳ

4δὸς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ

6εὖ ποίησον ταπεινῷ καὶ μὴ δῷς ἀσεβεῖ ἐμπόδισον τοὺς ἄρτους αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῷ ἵνα μὴ ἐν αὐτοῖς σε δυναστεύσῃ

7διπλάσια γὰρ κακὰ εὑρήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς οἷς ἂν ποιήσῃς αὐτῷ ὅτι καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐμίσησεν ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἀποδώσει ἐκδίκησιν δὸς τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ

8οὐκ ἐκδικηθήσεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ὁ φίλος καὶ οὐ κρυβήσεται ἐν κακοῖς ὁ ἐχθρός

9ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδρὸς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν λύπῃ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ φίλος διαχωρισθήσεται

10μὴ πιστεύσῃς τῷ ἐχθρῷ σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκὸς ἰοῦται οὕτως ἡ πονηρία αὐτοῦ

11καὶ ἐὰν ταπεινωθῇ καὶ πορεύηται συγκεκυφώς ἐπίστησον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσῃ αὐτῷ ὡς ἐκμεμαχὼς ἔσοπτρον καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τέλος κατίωσεν

12μὴ στήσῃς αὐτὸν παρὰ σεαυτῷ μὴ ἀνατρέψας σε στῇ ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον σου μὴ καθίσῃς αὐτὸν ἐκ δεξιῶν σου μήποτε ζητήσῃ τὴν καθέδραν σου καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἐπιγνώσῃ τοὺς λόγους μου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων μου κατανυγήσῃ

13τίς ἐλεήσει ἐπαοιδὸν ὀφιόδηκτον καὶ πάντας τοὺς προσάγοντας θηρίοις οὕτως τὸν προσπορευόμενον ἀνδρὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ συμφυρόμενον ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτοῦ

14ὥραν μετὰ σοῦ διαμενεῖ καὶ ἐὰν ἐκκλίνῃς οὐ μὴ καρτερήσῃ

15καὶ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ γλυκανεῖ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ βουλεύσεται ἀνατρέψαι σε εἰς βόθρον

16ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ δακρύσει ὁ ἐχθρός καὶ ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρόν οὐκ ἐμπλησθήσεται ἀφ' αἵματος

17κακὰ ἐὰν ὑπαντήσῃ σοι εὑρήσεις αὐτὸν πρότερον ἐκεῖ σου

18καὶ ὡς βοηθῶν ὑποσχάσει πτέρναν σου

19τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ κινήσει καὶ ἐπικροτήσει ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ πολλὰ διαψιθυρίσει καὶ ἀλλοιώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ