Old Testament

New Testament

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 13:20-26 Good News Bible Anglicised (GNBDC)

20. Arrogant people have nothing but scorn for the humble, and the rich think of the poor in the same way.

21. When a rich person stumbles, his friends will steady him, but if a poor person falls, his friends will have nothing to do with him.

22. When someone rich makes a mistake, there are many people to cover up for him and explain away all the things he never should have said. But let someone poor make a mistake, and he gets nothing but criticism. Even if what he says makes good sense, nobody will listen.

23. When a rich person speaks, everyone is silent, and they praise him to the skies for what he says. But let a poor person speak, and everybody says, “Who is that?” They push him down if he so much as stumbles.

24. There is nothing wrong with being rich if you haven't sinned to get there. But there is nothing sinful about being poor, either. Only the ungodly think so.

25. It's what is in your heart that makes the expression on your face happy or sad.

26. If you feel cheerful, you will look cheerful, although making up proverbs calls for some intense thought.

Read complete chapter Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 13