The Rich and the Poor
Sirach 13
The chapter warns against close association with the rich and powerful, comparing it to an earthen pot placed beside a kettle, since the poor man is used and then discarded once no longer useful. It observes that people cleave to their own kind, contrasting how the rich are excused and praised while the poor are blamed and despised for the same conduct.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
1
BrentonHe that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
GreekὉ ἁπτομενος πίσσης μολυνθήσεται, καὶ ὁ κοινωνῶν ὑπερηφάνῳ ὁμοιωθήσεται αὐτῷ.
2
BrentonBurden 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.
GreekΒάρος ὑπὲρ σὲ μὴ ἄρῃς, καὶ ἰσχυροτέρῳ σου καὶ πλουσιωτέρῳ μὴ κοινώνει· τί κοινωνήσει χύτρα πρὸς λέβητα; αὕτη προσκρούσει, καὶ αὕτη συντριβήσεται.
3
BrentonThe rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.
GreekΠλούσιος ἠδίκησε, καὶ αὐτὸς προσενεβριμήσατο· πτωχὸς ἠδίκηται, καὶ αὐτὸς προσδεηθήσεται.
4
BrentonIf thou be for his profit, he will use thee; but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
GreekἘὰν χρησιμεύσῃς, ἐργᾶται ἐν σοί· καὶ ἐὰν ὑστερήσῃς, καταλείψει σε.
5
BrentonIf thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
GreekἘὰν ἔχῃς, συμβιώσεταί σοι, καὶ ἀποκενώσει σε, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ πονέσει.
6
BrentonIf 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?
GreekΧρείαν ἔσχηκέ σου, καὶ ἀποπλανήσει σε, καὶ προσγελάσεταί σοι, καὶ δώσει σοι ἐλπίδα· λαλήσει σοι καλὰ, καὶ ἐρεῖ, τίς ἡ χρεία σου;
7
BrentonAnd 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.
GreekΚαὶ αἰσχυνεῖ σε ἐν τοῖς βρώμασιν αὐτοῦ, ἕως οὗ ἀποκενώσῃ σε δὶς ἢ τρὶς, καὶ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτῳ καταμωκήσεταί σου· μετὰ ταῦτα ὄψεταί σε, καὶ καταλείψει σε, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ κινήσει ἐπὶ σοί.
8
BrentonBeware that thou be not deceived, and brought down in thy jollity.
GreekΠρόσεχε μὴ ἀποπλανηθῇς, καὶ μὴ ταπεινωθῇς ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ σου.
9
BrentonIf thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.
GreekΠροσκαλεσαμένου σε δυνάστου, ὑποχωρῶν γίνου, καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον προσκαλέσεταί σε.
10
BrentonPress thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.
GreekΜὴ ἔμπιπτε ἵνα μὴ ἀπωσθῇς, καὶ μὴ μακρὰν ἀφιστῶ ἵνα μὴ ἐπιλησθῇς.
11
BrentonAffect 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:
GreekΜὴ ἔπεχε εἰσηγορεῖσθαι μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ πίστευε τοῖς πλείοσι λόγοις αὐτοῦ· ἐκ πολλῆς γὰρ λαλιᾶς πειράσει σε, καὶ ὡς προσγελῶν ἐξετάσει.
12
Brentonbut cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.
GreekἈνελεήμων ὁ μὴ συντηρῶν λόγους, καὶ οὐ μὴ φείσηται περὶ κακώσεως καὶ δεσμῶν.
13
BrentonObserve, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.
GreekΣυντήρησον καὶ πρόσεχε σφοδρῶς, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς πτώσεώς σου περιπατεῖς.
15
BrentonEvery beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbour.
GreekΠᾶν ζῶον ἀγαπᾷ τὸ ὅμοιον αὐτῷ, καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ.
16
BrentonAll flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.
GreekΠᾶσα σὰρξ κατὰ γένος συνάγεται, καὶ τῷ ὁμοίῳ αὐτοῦ προσκολληθήσεται ἀνήρ.
17
BrentonWhat fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.
GreekΤί κοινωνήσει λύκος ἀμνῷ; οὕτως ἁμαρτωλὸς πρὸς εὐσεβῆ.
18
BrentonWhat agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?
GreekΤίς εἰρήνη ὑαίνῃ πρὸς κύνα; καὶ τίς εἰρήνη πλουσίῳ πρὸς πένητα;
19
BrentonAs the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.
GreekΚυνήγια λεόντων ὄναγροι ἐν ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως νομαὶ πλουσίων πτωχοί.
20
BrentonAs the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.
GreekΒδέλυγμα ὑπερηφάνῳ ταπεινότης, οὕτως βδέλυγμα πλουσίῳ πτωχός.
21
BrentonA rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust also away by his friends.
GreekΠλούσιος σαλευόμενος στηρίζεται ὑπὸ φίλων, ταπεινὸς δὲ πεσὼν προσαπωθεῖται ὑπὸ φίλων.
22
BrentonWhen 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.
GreekΠλουσίου σφαλέντος πολλοὶ ἀντιλήμπτορες, ἐλάλησεν ἀπόῤῥητα καὶ ἐδικαίωσαν αὐτόν· ταπεινὸς ἔσφαλε καὶ προσεπετίμησαν αὐτῷ, ἐφθέγξατο σύνεσιν καὶ οὐκ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ τόπος.
23
BrentonWhen 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.
GreekΠλούσιος ἐλάλησε καὶ πάντες ἐσίγησαν, καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἀνύψωσαν ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν· πτωχὸς ἐλάλησε, καὶ εἶπαν, τίς οὗτος; κἂν προσκόψῃ, προσανατρέψουσιν αὐτόν.
24
BrentonRiches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.
GreekἈγαθὸς ὁ πλοῦτος ᾧ μὴ ἔστιν ἁμαρτία, καὶ πονηρὰ ἡ πτωχεία ἐν στόμασιν ἀσεβοῦς.
25
BrentonThe heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil.
GreekΚαρδία ἀνθρώπου ἀλλοιοῖ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἐὰν εἰς ἀγαθὰ ἐάν τε εἰς κακά.
26
BrentonA 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.
GreekἼχνος καρδίας ἐν ἀγαθοῖς πρόσωπον ἱλαρὸν, καὶ εὕρεσις παραβολῶν διαλογισμοὶ μετὰ κόπου.