Sirach Chapter 29

Of charity in lending money, and justice in repaying. Of alms, and of being surety.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 He that showeth mercy, lendeth to his neighbour: and he that is stronger in hand, keepeth the commandments. And he that is stronger in hand... That is, he that is hearty and bountiful in lending to his neighbour in his necessity.
2 Lend to thy neighbour in the time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again in due time.
3 Keep thy word, and deal faithfully with him: and thou shalt always find that which is necessary for thee.
4 Many have looked upon a thing lent as a thing found, and have given trouble to them that helped them.
5 Till they receive, they kiss the hands of the lender, and in promises they humble their voice:
6 But when they should repay, they will ask time, and will return tedious and murmuring words, and will complain of the time:
7 And if he be able to pay, he will stand off, he will scarce pay one half, and will count it as if he had found it:
8 But if not, he will defraud him of his money, and he shall get him for an enemy without cause.
9 And he will pay him with reproaches and curses, and instead of honour and good turn will repay him injuries.
10 Many have refused to lend, not out of wickedness, but they were afraid to be defrauded without cause.
11 But yet towards the poor be thou more hearty, and delay not to show him mercy.
12 Help the poor because of the commandment: and send him not away empty handed because of his poverty.
13 Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend: and hide it not under a stone to be lost.
14 Place thy treasure in the commandments of the most High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold.
15 Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and it shall obtain help for thee against all evil.
16 Better than the shield of the mighty, and better than the spear: 17 It shall fight for thee against thy enemy.
18 A good man is surety for his neighbour: and he that hath lost shame, will leave him to himself.

19 Forget not the kindness of thy surety: for he hath given his life for thee.
20 The sinner and the unclean fleeth from his surety.
21 A sinner attributeth to himself the goods of his surety: and he that is of an unthankful mind will leave him that delivered him.
22 A man is surety for his neighbour: and when he hath lost all shame, he shall forsake him.
23 Evil suretyship hath undone many of good estate, and hath tossed them as a wave of the sea.
24 It hath made powerful men to go from place to place round about, and they have wandered in strange countries.
25 A sinner that transgresseth the commandment of the Lord, shall fall into an evil suretyship: and he that undertaketh many things, shall fall into judgment.
26 Recover thy neighbour according to thy power, and take heed to thyself that thou fall not.
27 The chief thing for man's life is water and bread, and clothing, and a house to cover shame.

28 Better is the poor man's fare under a roof of boards, than sumptuous cheer abroad in another man's house.
29 Be contented with little instead of much, and thou shalt not hear the reproach of going abroad.
30 It is a miserable life to go as a guest from house to house: for where a man is a stranger, he shall not deal confidently, nor open his mouth.
31 He shall entertain and feed, and give drink to the unthankful, and moreover he shall hear bitter words.
32 Go, stranger, and furnish the table, and give others to eat what thou hast in thy hand.
33 Give place to the honourable presence of my friends: for I want my house, my brother being to be lodged with me.
34 These things are grievous to a man of understanding: the upbraiding of houseroom, and the reproaching of the lender.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Qui facit misericordiam fœneratur proximo suo:
et qui prævalet manu mandata servat.
2 Fœnerare proximo tuo in tempore necessitatis illius:
et iterum redde proximo in tempore suo.
3 Confirma verbum, et fideliter age cum illo:
et in omni tempore invenies quod tibi necessarium est.
4 Multi quasi inventionem æstimaverunt fœnus,
et præstiterunt molestiam his qui se adjuverunt.
5 Donec accipiant, osculantur manus dantis,
et in promissionibus humiliant vocem suam:
6 et in tempore redditionis postulabit tempus,
et loquetur verba tædii et murmurationum,
et tempus causabitur.
7 Si autem potuerit reddere, adversabitur:
solidi vix reddet dimidium,
et computabit illud quasi inventionem:
8 sin autem, fraudabit illum pecunia sua,
et possidebit illum inimicum gratis:
9 et convitia et maledicta reddet illi,
et pro honore et beneficio reddet illi contumeliam.
10 Multi non causa nequitiæ non fœnerati sunt,
sed fraudari gratis timuerunt.
11 Verumtamen super humilem animo fortior esto,
et pro eleemosyna non trahas illum.
12 Propter mandatum assume pauperem,
et propter inopiam ejus ne dimittas eum vacuum.
13 Perde pecuniam propter fratrem et amicum tuum,
et non abscondas illam sub lapide in perditionem.
14 Pone thesaurum tuum in præceptis Altissimi,
et proderit tibi magis quam aurum.
15 Conclude eleemosynam in corde pauperis,
et hæc pro te exorabit ab omni malo.
16 Super scutum potentis 17 et super lanceam
18 adversus inimicum tuum pugnabit.

19 Vir bonus fidem facit pro proximo suo:
et qui perdiderit confusionem derelinquet sibi.
20 Gratiam fidejussoris ne obliviscaris:
dedit enim pro te animam suam.
21 Repromissorem fugit peccator et immundus.
22 Bona repromissoris sibi ascribit peccator:
et ingratus sensu derelinquet liberantem se.
23 Vir repromittit de proximo suo:
et cum perdiderit reverentiam, derelinquetur ab eo.
24 Repromissio nequissima multos perdidit dirigentes,
et commovit illos quasi fluctus maris.
25 Viros potentes gyrans migrare fecit,
et vagati sunt in gentibus alienis.
26 Peccator transgrediens mandatum Domini incidet in promissionem nequam:
et qui conatur multa agere incidet in judicium.
27 Recupera proximum secundum virtutem tuam,
et attende tibi ne incidas.

28 Initium vitæ hominis, aqua et panis,
et vestimentum, et domus protegens turpitudinem.
29 Melior est victus pauperis sub tegmine asserum
quam epulæ splendidæ in peregre sine domicilio.
30 Minimum pro magno placeat tibi,
et improperium peregrinationis non audies.
31 Vita nequam hospitandi de domo in domum:
et ubi hospitabitur non fiducialiter aget, nec aperiet os.
32 Hospitabitur, et pascet, et potabit ingratos,
et ad hæc amara audiet:
33 transi, hospes, et orna mensam,
et quæ in manu habes ciba ceteros.
34 Exi a facie honoris amicorum meorum:
necessitudine domus meæ hospitio mihi factus est frater.
35 Gravia hæc homini habenti sensum:
correptio domus, et improperium fœneratoris.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition