top Wisdom of Sirach ch 12

Chapter 12

1 Ἐὰν εὖ ποιῇς, γνῶθι τίνι ποιεῖς, καὶ ἔσται χάρις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς σου. 1 When thou wilt do good know to whom thou doest it; so shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.
2 εὖ ποίησον εὐσεβεῖ, καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνταπόδομα, καὶ εἰ μὴ παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ ὑψίστου. 2 Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompence; and if not from him, yet from the most High.
3 οὐκ ἔσται ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἐνδελεχίζοντι εἰς κακὰ καὶ τῷ ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ χαριζομένῳ. 3 There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, nor to him that giveth no alms.
4 δὸς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. 4 Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner.
5 εὖ ποίησον ταπεινῷ καὶ μὴ δῷς ἀσεβεῖ· ἐμπόδισον τοὺς ἄρτους αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐν αὐτοῖς σὲ δυναστεύσῃ· διπλάσια γὰρ κακὰ εὑρήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς, οἷς ἄν ποιήσῃς αὐτῷ. 5 Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, lest he overmaster thee thereby: for else thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done unto him.
6 ὅτι καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐμίσησεν ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἀποδώσει ἐκδίκησιν. 6 For the most High hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance unto the ungodly, and keepeth them against the mighty day of their punishment.
7 δὸς τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. 7 Give unto the good, and help not the sinner.
8 οὐκ ἐκδικηθήσεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ὁ φίλος, καὶ οὐ κρυβήσεται ἐν κακοῖς ὁ ἐχθρός. 8 A friend cannot be known in prosperity: and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.
9 ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδρὸς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν λύπῃ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ φίλος διαχωρισθήσεται. 9 In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved: but in his adversity even a friend will depart.
10 μὴ πιστεύσῃς τῷ ἐχθρῷ σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκὸς ἰοῦται, οὕτως ἡ πονηρία αὐτοῦ· 10 Never trust thine enemy: for like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness.
11 καὶ 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. 11 Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him, and thou shalt be unto him as if thou hadst wiped a lookingglass, and thou shalt know that his rust hath not been altogether wiped away.
12 μὴ στήσῃς αὐτὸν παρὰ σεαυτῷ, μὴ ἀνατρέψας σὲ 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 καταπατήσῃ. 12 Set him not by thee, lest, when he hath overthrown thee, he stand up in thy place; neither let him sit at thy right hand, lest he seek to take thy seat, and thou at the last remember my words, and be pricked therewith.
13 τίς ἐλεήσει ἐπαοιδὸν ὀφιόδηκτον καὶ πάντας τοὺς προσάγοντας θηρίοις; 13 Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, or any such as come nigh wild beasts?
14 οὕτως τὸν προσπορευόμενον ἀνδρὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ συμφυρόμενον ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτοῦ, 14 So one that goeth to a sinner, and is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity?
15 ὥραν μετὰ σοῦ διαμενεῖ, καὶ ἐὰν ἐκκλίνῃς, οὐ μὴ καρτερήσῃ, 15 For a while he will abide with thee, but if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry.
16 καὶ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ γλυκανεῖ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ βουλεύσεται ἀνατρέψαι σὲ εἰς βόθρον· ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ δακρύσει ὁ ἐχθρός, καὶ ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρόν, οὐκ ἐμπλησθήσεται ἀφ' αἵματος, 16 An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood.
17 κακὰ ἐὰν ὑπαντήσῃ σοι, εὑρήσεις αὐτὸν πρότερον ἐκεῖ σου, καὶ ὡς βοηθῶν ὑποσχάσει πτέρναν σου· 17 If adversity come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first; and though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee.
18 τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ κινήσει καὶ ἐπικροτήσει ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ πολλὰ διαψιθυρίσει καὶ ἀλλοιώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. 18 He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.