Sirach 29

1He who shows mercy will lend to his neighbor, And he who makes him strong with a helping hand Keeps the commandments.

ὁ ποιῶν ἔλεος δανιεῖ τῷ πλησίον καὶ ὁ ἐπισχύων τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τηρεῖ ἐντολάς

2Lend to your neighbor in the time of his need, And when you borrow, repay your neighbor on time.

δάνεισον τῷ πλησίον ἐν καιρῷ χρείας αὐτοῦ καὶ πάλιν ἀπόδος τῷ πλησίον εἰς τὸν καιρόν

3Keep your word and be trustworthy with him, And on every occasion you will find what you need.

στερέωσον λόγον καὶ πιστώθητι μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ εὑρήσεις τὴν χρείαν σου

4Many men, supposing a loan is like a windfall, Cause trouble to those who help them.

πολλοὶ ὡς εὕρεμα ἐνόμισαν δάνος καὶ παρέσχον κόπον τοῖς βοηθήσασιν αὐτοῖς

5He will kiss the lender's hand until he receives the loan, And to get his neighbor's money he will lower his voice; But at the time of repayment, he will put it off, And repay only with words of indifference, And blame the times.

ἕως οὗ λάβῃ καταφιλήσει χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν χρημάτων τοῦ πλησίον ταπεινώσει φωνήν καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἀποδόσεως παρελκύσει χρόνον καὶ ἀποδώσει λόγους ἀκηδίας καὶ τὸν καιρὸν αἰτιάσεται

6If the lender is firm with him, he will barely get back half the loan, And will consider it as a windfall. If the borrower does not repay anything, He has robbed him of his money, And needlessly made him an enemy. The lender will then repay him with curses and insults, And dishonor instead of glory.

ἐὰν ἰσχύσῃ μόλις κομίσεται τὸ ἥμισυ καὶ λογιεῖται αὐτὸ ὡς εὕρεμα εἰ δὲ μή ἀπεστέρησεν αὐτὸν τῶν χρημάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκτήσατο αὐτὸν ἐχθρὸν δωρεάν κατάρας καὶ λοιδορίας ἀποδώσει αὐτῷ καὶ ἀντὶ δόξης ἀποδώσει αὐτῷ ἀτιμίαν

7Many men, not because they are evil, Have refused to lend; They have become afraid of being needlessly robbed.

πολλοὶ οὐ χάριν πονηρίας ἀπέστρεψαν ἀποστερηθῆναι δωρεὰν εὐλαβήθησαν

8However, be patient with a man of humble circumstances, And do not keep him waiting for your alms.

πλὴν ἐπὶ ταπεινῷ μακροθύμησον καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐλεημοσύνῃ μὴ παρελκύσῃς αὐτόν

9Because of the commandment, help a poor man, And in his need, do not turn him away empty.

χάριν ἐντολῆς ἀντιλαβοῦ πένητος καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔνδειαν αὐτοῦ μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς αὐτὸν κενόν

10Lose your money for the sake of a brother and friend; Do not let it rust under a stone and be lost.

ἀπόλεσον ἀργύριον δι᾿ ἀδελφὸν καὶ φίλον καὶ μὴ ἰωθήτω ὑπὸ τὸν λίθον εἰς ἀπώλειαν

11Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, For this will profit you more than gold.

θὲς τὸν θησαυρόν σου κατ᾿ ἐντολὰς ὑψίστου καὶ λυσιτελήσει σοι μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ χρυσίον

12Store alms in your storerooms, And they will deliver you from all affliction.

σύγκλεισον ἐλεημοσύνην ἐν τοῖς ταμιείοις σου καὶ αὕτη ἐξελεῖταί σε ἐκ πάσης κακώσεως

13More than a mighty shield and better than a strong spear Almsgiving will fight for you against your enemy.

ὑπὲρ ἀσπίδα κράτους καὶ ὑπὲρ δόρυ ὁλκῆς κατέναντι ἐχθροῦ πολεμήσει ὑπὲρ σοῦ

14A good man will go surety for his neighbor, But a man who has lost his sense of shame will forsake him.

ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς ἐγγυήσεται τὸν πλησίον καὶ ὁ ἀπολωλεκὼς αἰσχύνην ἐγκαταλείψει αὐτόν

15Do not forget the kindness his surety has done for you, For he has given his life for you.

χάριτας ἐγγύου μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ ἔδωκεν γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ σοῦ

16A sinner will overthrow the good things of his surety, And the ungrateful man will forsake his deliverer on purpose.

ἀγαθὰ ἐγγύου ἀνατρέψει ἁμαρτωλός καὶ ἀχάριστος ἐν διανοίᾳ ἐγκαταλείψει ῥυσάμενον

17Suretyship has destroyed many prosperous men And tossed them about like waves of the sea.

ἐγγύη πολλοὺς ἀπώλεσεν κατευθύνοντας καὶ ἐσάλευσεν αὐτοὺς ὡς κῦμα θαλάσσης

18Suretyship has driven influential men from their homes, And they have wandered among foreign nations.

ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς ἀπῴκισεν καὶ ἐπλανήθησαν ἐν ἔθνεσιν ἀλλοτρίοις

19The sinner who chances upon surety ship And the man who pursues profit-taking will fall into judgment.

ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐμπεσὼν εἰς ἐγγύην καὶ διώκων ἐργολαβίας ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κρίσεις

20Help your neighbor according to your ability, But watch out for yourself lest you fall.

ἀντιλαβοῦ τοῦ πλησίον κατὰ δύναμίν σου καὶ πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἐμπέσῃς

21The principle of life is water, bread, and clothing, And a house that offers privacy.

ἀρχὴ ζωῆς ὕδωρ καὶ ἄρτος καὶ ἱμάτιον καὶ οἶκος καλύπτων ἀσχημοσύνην

22The life of a poor man under a shelter of logs Is better than great food in another man's house.

κρείσσων βίος πτωχοῦ ὑπὸ σκέπην δοκῶν ἢ ἐδέσματα λαμπρὰ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις

23Be content with little or much, And you will not hear your guest insulted.

ἐπὶ μικρῷ καὶ μεγάλῳ εὐδοκίαν ἔχε καὶ ὀνειδισμὸν παροικίας οὐ μὴ ἀκούσῃς

24Going from house to house is a bad way to live, And where you are visiting, you dare not open your mouth.

ζωὴ πονηρὰ ἐξ οἰκίας εἰς οἰκίαν καὶ οὗ παροικήσεις οὐκ ἀνοίξεις στόμα

25You will entertain guests and give drink to the ungrateful, And besides this you will hear bitter words:

ξενιεῖς καὶ ποτιεῖς εἰς ἀχάριστα καὶ πρὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις πικρὰ ἀκούσῃ

26'Come here, stranger; set the table, And if you have any food at hand, feed me.'

πάρελθε πάροικε κόσμησον τράπεζαν καὶ εἴ τι ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ψώμισόν με

27'Get out, stranger, somebody more important is here; My brother has come as my guest; I need my house.'

ἔξελθε πάροικε ἀπὸ προσώπου δόξης ἐπεξένωταί μοι ὁ ἀδελφός χρεία τῆς οἰκίας

28These things are hard for a sensible man to take: The rebuke of a household and the abuse of a creditor.

βαρέα ταῦτα ἀνθρώπῳ ἔχοντι φρόνησιν ἐπιτίμησις οἰκίας καὶ ὀνειδισμὸς δανειστοῦ