Sirach Chapter 13

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Qui tetigerit picem, inquinabitur ab ea: et qui communicaverit superbo, induet superbiam.

2 Pondus super se tollat qui honestiori se communicat. Et ditiori te ne socius fueris.

3 Quid communicabit cacabus ad ollam? quando enim se colliserint, confringetur.

4 Dives iniuste egit, et fremet: pauper autem læsus tacebit.

5 Si largitus fueris, assumet 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, supplantabit 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 deridebit te: et postea videns derelinquet te, et caput suum movebit ad te.

9 Humiliare Deo, et expecta manus eius.

10 Attende 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 improbus sis, ne impingaris: et ne longe sis ab eo, ne eas in oblivionem.

14 Ne retineas ex æquo loqui cum illo: nec credas multis verbis illius. ex multa enim loquela tentabit te, et subridens interrogabit te de absconditis tuis.

15 Immitis animus illius conservabit verba tua: et non parcet de malitia, et de vinculis.

16 Cave tibi, et attende 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 illum in salute tua.

19 Omne animal diligit simile sibi: sic et omnis homo proximum sibi.

20 Omnis caro ad similem sibi coniungetur, et omnis homo simili sui sociabitur.

21 Si communicabit lupus agno aliquando, sic peccator iusto.

22 Quæ communicatio sancto homini ad canem? aut quæ pars diviti ad pauperem?

23 Venatio leonis onager in eremo: sic et pascua divitum, sunt pauperes.

24 Et sicut abominatio est superbo humilitas: sic et execratio divitis pauper.

25 Dives commotus confirmatur ab amicis suis: humilis autem cum ceciderit expelletur et a notis.

26 Diviti decepto multi recuperatores: locutus est superbia, et iustificaverunt illum.

27 humilis deceptus est, insuper et 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, subvertent illum.

30 Bona est substantia, cui non est peccatum in conscientia: et nequissima paupertas in ore impii.

31 Cor hominis immutat faciem illius, sive in bona, sive in mala.

32 Vestigium cordis boni, et faciem bonam difficile invenies, et cum labore.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).