Sirach 13 Who so toucheth pytch, shalbe defiled withall: and he that is familier with the proude, shall cloth him selfe with pryde.

Bishops⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Who so toucheth pytch, shalbe defiled withall: and he that is familier with the proude, shall cloth him selfe with pryde. ² He taketh a burthen vpon him that accompanieth a more honorable man then himselfe, therfore kepe no familiaritie with one that is richer then thy selfe: Howe agree the kettel and the pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shalbe broken. ³ The riche dealeth vnrighteously, and threatneth withal: but the poore beyng oppressed and wrongfully dealt withall, suffereth scarcenesse, and geueth fayre wordes. If the riche haue done wrong, yet must he be entreated: but if the poore haue done it, he shall straight wayes be threatned. ⁴ If thou be for his profite, he vseth thee: but if thou haue nothing, he shal forsake thee. ⁵ As long as thou hast any thing of thyne owne, he shalbe a good felow with thee: yea he shall make thee a bare man, and not be sory for thee. ⁶ If he haue neede of thee, he shall defraude thee, and with a priuie mocke shall he put thee in an hope, & geue thee all good wordes, and say: What wantest thou? ⁷ Thus shal he shame thee in his meate, vntill he haue supt thee cleane vp twyse or thryse, & at the last shall he laugh thee to scorne: Afterwarde, when he seeth that thou hast nothing, he shall forsake thee, and shake his head at thee. ⁸ Submit thy selfe vnto God, and wayte vpon his hande. ⁹ Beware that thou be not disceaued and brought downe in thy simplenesse: Be not to humble in thy wysedome, lest when thou art brought lowe thou be disceaued through foolishnesse. ¹⁰ If thou be called of a mightie man, absent thy selfe, so shall he call thee to him the more oft. ¹¹ Preasse not thou vnto him, that thou be not shut out: but go not thou farre of, lest he forget thee. ¹² Withdraw not thy selfe from his speach, but beleue not his many wordes: For with much communication shall he tempt thee, and with a priuie mocke shal he question with thee of thy secretes. ¹³ The vnmercifull mynde of his shall marke thy wordes, he shall not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison. ¹⁴ Beware and take good heede to thy selfe, for thou walkest in peryll of thy ouerthrowing: Now when thou hearest his wordes, make thee as though thou wast in a dreame, and wake vp. ¹⁵ Loue God all thy lyfe long, and call vpon him in thy neede. ¹⁶ Euery beast loueth his like: euen so let euery man loue his neyghbour. ¹⁷ All fleshe will resort to their like, and euery man wil kepe companie with such as he is him selfe. ¹⁸ But as the woolfe agreeth with the lambe: so doth the vngodly with the righteous. ¹⁹ What peace is there betweene Hyena and a dogge? Howe can the riche and the poore agree together? ²⁰ The wilde asse is the lions pray in the wildernesse: euen so are poore men the meate of the riche. ²¹ Like as the proude may not away with lowlinesse: euen so doth the riche abhorre the poore. ²² If a riche man fal, his friendes set him vp againe: but when the poore falleth, his acquayntaunce forsake him. ²³ If a riche man fall into an errour, he hath many helpers, he speaketh proude wordes, and yet men iustifie him: but if a poore man go wrong, he is punished, yea though he speake wysely, yet can it haue no place. ²⁴ When the riche man speaketh, euery body holdeth his tongue, and loke what he sayth, they prayse it vnto the cloudes: But if the poore manspeake, they say, What felow in this? and if he do amisse, they shall destroy hym. ²⁵ Riches are good vnto hym that hath no sinne in his conscience: and pouertie is a wicked thing in the mouth of the vngodly. ²⁶ The heart of man chaungeth his countenaunce, whether it be in good or euyll. ²⁷ A chearfull countenaunce is a token of a good heart: for els it is an harde thing to knowe the thought.