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Dhammapada · narration sample

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The Apocrypha (Deuterocanonical Books) · 125 of 174

Sirach 13

He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.

Burden 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.

The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.

If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.

If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.

If 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?

And 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.

Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy jollity.

If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.

Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.

Affect 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:

But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.

Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.

Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.

Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbor.

All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.

What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.

What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?

As the wild ass is the lion’s prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.

As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.

A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends.

When 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.

When 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.

Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.

The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.

A 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.

Asked of Guide

Why does Sirach warn against keeping company with rich or mighty people?

Sirach shows that close ties with the rich turn practical: the rich “will live with thee… and will make thee bare,” using flattery, promises, and feasts to draw you in until they’ve drained you and then laugh or forsake you. The chapter traces a pattern—deception, conditional friendship, unequal speech and judgment—so companionship with wealth becomes a moral and social danger rather than honor.

He grounds the warning in observation and moral contrast: “What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb?” and “as the rich eat up the poor,” portraying incompatible natures that produce harm. This is like Proverbs’ counsel on bad company and like Jesus’ teaching about wealth’s corrupting influence in the Gospels, both urging distance from relationships that sacrifice integrity.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.