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Ben Sira 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ben Sira 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 12
1 If you do good, know for whom you are doing it,[a]
and your kindness will have its effect.
2 Do good to the righteous and reward will be yours,
if not from them, from the Lord.(A)
3 No good comes to those who give comfort to the wicked,
nor is it an act of mercy that they do.
4 Give to the good but refuse the sinner;
5 refresh the downtrodden but give nothing to the proud.
No arms for combat should you give them,
lest they use these against you;
Twofold evil you will obtain for every good deed you do for them.
6 For God also hates sinners,
and takes vengeance on evildoers.[b]
8 In prosperity we cannot know our friends;[c]
in adversity an enemy will not remain concealed.(B)
9 When one is successful even an enemy is friendly;
but in adversity even a friend disappears.(C)
10 Never trust your enemies,
for their wickedness is like corrosion in bronze.
11 Even though they act deferentially and peaceably toward you,
take care to be on your guard against them.(D)
Treat them as those who reveal secrets,[d]
and be certain that in the end there will still be envy.
12 Do not let them stand near you,
lest they push you aside and take your place.
Do not let them sit at your right hand,
or they will demand your seat,
And in the end you will appreciate my advice,
when you groan with regret, as I warned.
13 Who pities a snake charmer when he is bitten,[e]
or anyone who goes near a wild beast?
14 So it is with the companion of the proud,
who is involved in their sins:
15 While you stand firm, they make no move;
but if you slip, they cannot hold back.
16 With their lips enemies speak sweetly,
but in their heart they scheme to plunge you into the abyss.
Though enemies have tears in their eyes,
given the chance, they will never have enough of your blood.(E)
17 If evil comes upon you, you will find them at hand;
pretending to help, they will trip you up,
18 Then they will shake their heads and clap their hands
and hiss repeatedly, and show their true faces.
Footnotes
- 12:1 The import of this verse is brought out in vv. 4–5.
- 12:6 Verse 7 is a variant of verse 4 and is omitted.
- 12:8–18 Adversity distinguishes friends from enemies; to trust the latter or permit them intimacy is to invite disaster. Cf. note on 6:5–17.
- 12:11 Ben Sira has harsh words for those who reveal secrets; see also 8:18; 27:16–21; 42:1; Prv 11:13; 20:19.
- 12:13 For v. 13a, see especially Eccl 10:11.
Sirach 12
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Sirach 12
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
12 If you do a kindness, know to whom you do it,
and you will be thanked for your good deeds.
2 Do good to a godly man, and you will be repaid—
if not by him, certainly by the Most High.
3 No good will come to the man who persists in evil
or to him who does not give alms.
4 Give to the godly man, but do not help the sinner.
5 Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly;
hold back his bread, and do not give it to him,
lest by means of it he subdue you;
for you will receive twice as much evil
for all the good which you do to him.
6 For the Most High also hates sinners
and will inflict punishment on the ungodly.[a]
7 Give to the good man, but do not help the sinner.
8 A friend will not be known[b] in prosperity,
nor will an enemy be hidden in adversity.
9 A man’s enemies are grieved when he prospers,
and in his adversity even his friend will separate from him.
10 Never trust your enemy,
for like the rusting of copper, so is his wickedness.
11 Even if he humbles himself and goes about cringing,
watch yourself, and be on your guard against him;
and you will be to him like one who has polished a mirror,
and you will know that it was not hopelessly tarnished.
12 Do not put him next to you,
lest he overthrow you and take your place;
do not have him sit at your right,
lest he try to take your seat of honor,
and at last you will realize the truth of my words,
and be stung by what I have said.
13 Who will pity a snake charmer bitten by a serpent,
or any who go near wild beasts?
14 So no one will pity a man who associates with a sinner
and becomes involved in his sins.
15 He will stay with you for a time,
but if you falter, he will not stand by you.
16 An enemy will speak sweetly with his lips,
but in his mind he will plan to throw you into a pit;
an enemy will weep with his eyes,
but if he finds an opportunity his thirst for blood will be insatiable.
17 If calamity befalls you, you will find him there ahead of you;
and while pretending to help you, he will trip you by the heel;
18 he will shake his head, and clap his hands,
and whisper much, and change his expression.
Footnotes
- Sirach 12:6 Other authorities add and he is keeping them for the mighty day of their punishment
- Sirach 12:8 Other authorities read punished
Sirach 12
Good News Translation
Sirach 12
Good News Translation
12 (A)When you do a good deed, make sure you know who is benefiting from it; then what you do will not be wasted.[a] 2 You will be repaid for any kindness you show to a devout person. If he doesn't repay you, the Most High will. 3 No good ever comes to a person who gives comfort to the wicked; it is not a righteous act.[b] 4 Give to religious people, but don't help sinners. 5 Do good to humble people, but don't give anything to those who are not devout. Don't give them food, or they will use your kindness against you. Every good thing you do for such people will bring you twice as much trouble in return. 6 The Most High himself hates sinners, and he will punish them. 7 Give to good people, but do not help sinners.
8 When things are going well, it is hard to tell who your real friends are, but in hard times you can recognize your enemies; 9 even your friends will leave you then. But when you are successful, your enemies will act like friends.[c] 10 Never trust an enemy; his wickedness is as destructive as rust. 11 Watch out, and be on guard against him, even if he acts ever so humble. He is like a metal mirror that rusts away if you don't keep it polished. 12 Seat an enemy at your right hand, and the next thing you know he'll be trying to get your own place of honor. Put him next to you, and he will overthrow you. Then you will realize the truth of my words, and be stung with regret when you remember them. 13 Nobody feels sorry for snake charmers or wild animal tamers who get bitten, 14 and nobody will feel sorry for you if you run around with sinners and get involved in their wrongdoing.
15 An enemy will stay with you for a while, but not when trouble comes. 16 He will speak fine words while he plots how to trap you. He will pretend to share your sorrows, but he will kill you if he gets a chance. 17 If trouble comes your way, you will find him waiting, ready to trip you up while he pretends to help you. 18 He will be a different person then, rubbing his hands, nodding his head, and spreading rumors about you.
Footnotes
- Sirach 12:1 what you do...wasted; or you will be thanked for what you do.
- Sirach 12:3 Hebrew gives...act; Greek makes evil a habit or refuses to give to the poor.
- Sirach 12:9 Hebrew act like friends; Greek be sorry.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
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Good News Translation (GNT) 
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