1 qui tetigerit picem inquinabitur ab illa
et qui communicaverit superbo
inducet superbiam
2 pondus super se tollit qui honestiori
communicat
et ditiori te ne socius fueris
3 quid communicabit caccabus ad ollam
quando enim conliserint confringetur
4 dives iniuste egit et fremebit
pauper autem laesus tacebit
5 si largitus fueris adsumet te
et si non habueris derelinquet te
6 si habes convivet tecum et evacuabit te
et ipse non dolebit super te
7 si necessarius illi fueris subplantabit te
et subridens spem dabit narrans tibi bona
et dicet quid opus est tibi
8 et confundet te in cibis suis donec te exinaniat bis et ter
et in novissimo derideat te
postea videns derelinquet te
et caput suum movebit ad te
10 adtende ne seductus in stultitiam humilieris
11 noli esse humilis in sapientia tua
ne humiliatus in stultitiam seducaris
12 advocatus a potentiore discede
ex hoc enim magis te advocabit
13 ne inprobus sis ne inpingaris
et longe abesto ne eas in oblivionem
14 ne retineas ex aequo loqui cum illo
ne credas multis verbis illius
ex multa enim loquella temptabit te
et subridens interrogabit te
de absconditis tuis
15 inmitis animus
illius conservabit verba tua
et non parcet de malitia et de vinculis
16 cave tibi et adtende diligenter auditui tuo
quoniam cum subversione tua ambulas
17 audiens vero illa quasi in somnis vide
et vigilabis
18 omni vita tua
dilige Deum et invoca eum in salute tua
19 omne animal diligit similem sibi
sic et omnis homo proximum sibi
20 omnis caro ad similem sibi coniungitur
et omnis homo simili sui sociabitur
21 si communicabit lupus agno aliquando sic peccator iusto
22 quae communicatio sancto homini ad canem
aut quae pax bona diviti ad pauperem
23 venatio leonis onager in heremo
sic pascua sunt divitum pauperes
24 et sicut abominatio est superbo humilitas
sic execratio divitis pauper
25 dives commotus confirmatur ab amicis
humilis autem cum ceciderit expellitur et a notis
26 diviti decepto multi recuperatores
locutus est superba et iustificaverunt illum
27 humilis deceptus est et insuper arguitur
locutus est sensate et non est datus ei locus
28 dives locutus est et omnes tacuerunt
et verbum illius usque ad nubes perducent
29 pauper locutus est et dicunt quis est hic
et si offenderit subvertunt illum
30 bona est substantia cui non est peccatum in conscientia
et nequissima paupertas in ore impii
31 cor hominis inmutat faciem illius sive in bona sive in mala
32 vestigium cordis boni et faciem bonam
difficile invenies et cum labore
1 He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
2 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.
3 The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.
4 If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
5 If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
6 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?
7 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.
8 Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy jollity.
9 If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.
10 Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.
11 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:
12 But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.
13 Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.
14 Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.
15 Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbor.
16 All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.
17 What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.
18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?
19 As the wild ass is the lion’s prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.
20 As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.
21 A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends.
22 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.
23 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.
24 Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.
25 The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.
26 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.