My LORD’s BibleSirach (Ecclesiasticus) 12
1When thou wilt do good know to whom thou doest it; so shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.
ἐὰν εὖ ποιῇς γνῶθι τίνι ποιεῖς καὶ ἔσται χάρις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς σου
2Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompence; and if not from him, yet from the most High.
εὖ ποίησον εὐσεβεῖ καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνταπόδομα καὶ εἰ μὴ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ ὑψίστου
3There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, nor to him that giveth no alms.
οὐκ ἔσται ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἐνδελεχίζοντι εἰς κακὰ καὶ τῷ ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ χαριζομένῳ
4Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner.
δὸς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ
5Do 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.
εὖ ποίησον ταπεινῷ καὶ μὴ δῷς ἀσεβεῖ ἐμπόδισον τοὺς ἄρτους αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῷ ἵνα μὴ ἐν αὐτοῖς σε δυναστεύσῃ διπλάσια γὰρ κακὰ εὑρήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς οἷς ἂν ποιήσῃς αὐτῷ
6For the most High hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance unto the ungodly, and keepeth them against the mighty day of their punishment.
ὅτι καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐμίσησεν ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἀποδώσει ἐκδίκησιν
7Give unto the good, and help not the sinner.
δὸς τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ
8A friend cannot be known in prosperity: and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.
οὐκ ἐκδικηθήσεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ὁ φίλος καὶ οὐ κρυβήσεται ἐν κακοῖς ὁ ἐχθρός
9In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved: but in his adversity even a friend will depart.
ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδρὸς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν λύπῃ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ φίλος διαχωρισθήσεται
10Never trust thine enemy: for like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness.
μὴ πιστεύσῃς τῷ ἐχθρῷ σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκὸς ἰοῦται οὕτως ἡ πονηρία αὐτοῦ
11Though 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.
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
12Set 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.
μὴ στήσῃς αὐτὸν παρὰ σεαυτῷ μὴ ἀνατρέψας σε 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 κατανυγήσῃ
13Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, or any such as come nigh wild beasts?
τίς ἐλεήσει ἐπαοιδὸν ὀφιόδηκτον καὶ πάντας τοὺς προσάγοντας θηρίοις
14So one that goeth to a sinner, and is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity?
οὕτως τὸν προσπορευόμενον ἀνδρὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ συμφυρόμενον ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτοῦ
15For a while he will abide with thee, but if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry.
ὥραν μετὰ σοῦ διαμενεῖ καὶ ἐὰν ἐκκλίνῃς οὐ μὴ καρτερήσῃ
16An 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.
καὶ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ γλυκανεῖ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ βουλεύσεται ἀνατρέψαι σε εἰς βόθρον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ δακρύσει ὁ ἐχθρός καὶ ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρόν οὐκ ἐμπλησθήσεται ἀφ' αἵματος
17If adversity come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first; and though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee.
κακὰ ἐὰν ὑπαντήσῃ σοι εὑρήσεις αὐτὸν πρότερον ἐκεῖ σου καὶ ὡς βοηθῶν ὑποσχάσει πτέρναν σου
18He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.
τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ κινήσει καὶ ἐπικροτήσει ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ πολλὰ διαψιθυρίσει καὶ ἀλλοιώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ