Ecclesiasticus 29

¹He that lendeth to his neighbour, doth mercy: and he that prevaileth with hand, keepeth the commandments.

²Lend to thy neighbour in the time of his necessity, and again repay thy neighbour in his time.

³Confirm thy word, and do faithfully with him: & thou shalt find at all time, that which is necessary for thee.

⁴Many have esteemed a thing lent as a thing found, and have given molestation to them that did help them.

⁵Till they receive, they kiss the hands of the lender, and in promises they humble their voice:

⁶and in the time of repaying they will ask a time, and will speak words of tediousness and murmurings, and will make the time an excuse:

⁷and if he be able to pay, he will resist, he will pay scarce half of the whole, and will account it as a thing found:

⁸but if not, he will defraud him of his money, and possess him an enemy without cause:

⁹and will repay him reproaches and curses, and for honour and benefit will repay him contumely.

¹⁰Many have not lent, not because of wickedness, but they were afraid to be defrauded without cause.

¹¹But yet upon the humble be stronger of mind, & for alms defer him not.

¹²Because of the commandment receive the poor: and because of his poverty, send him not away empty.

¹³Lose money for thy brother and thy friend: and hide it not under a stone unto perdition.

¹⁴Put thy treasure in the precepts of the Highest, & it shall profit thee more than gold.

¹⁵Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and the same shall obtain for thee against all evil.

¹⁶The alms a man giveth is as a purse with him: it will conserve his grace as the ball of the eye.

¹⁷And furthermore will raise up and render reward to every one upon their heads.

¹⁸Above the shield of the mighty, & above the spear, it shall fight against thine enemy.

¹⁹A good man becometh surety for his neighbour: and he that hath lost shame, will leave him to himself.

²⁰Forget not the kindness of a surety: for he hath given his life for thee.

²¹The sinner and unclean person flyeth from his surety.

²²A sinner counteth the goods of his surety to himself: and unthankful in mind, will forsake him that delivered him.

²³Aman is surety for his neighbour: and when he hath lost shame, he shall be forsaken of him.

²⁴Naughty suretyship hath undone many that were in good case, and hath tossed them as a wave of the sea.

²⁵Whurling round about, it hath made mighty men to remove, and they have wandered in strange nations.

²⁶A sinner that transgresseth the commandment of our Lord, shall fall into naughty suretyship: and he that endeavoureth to do many things, shall fall into judgement.

²⁷Recover thy neighbour according to thy power, and take heed to thyself that thou fall not.

²⁸The beginning of man's life water & bread, and garment, and house covering his turpitude.

²⁹Better is the poor man's fare under a roof of boards, than sumptuous cheer in a strange place without a house.

³⁰Let the least thing please thee in stead of a great, and thou shalt not hear the reproach of peregrination.

³¹It is a naughty life to change lodging from house to house: and where he shall lodge, he shall not deal boldly, nor open his mouth.

³²He shall lodge, and feed, and make the unthankful drink, and beside these things he shall hear bitter words.

³³Pass thou stranger & furnish the table, & with the things thou hast in thy hand, feed the rest.

³⁴Depart from the presence of the honour of my friends: for the necessity of my house my brother is to be lodged with me.

³⁵These things be grievous to a man that hath understanding: rebuke for the house, and the reproach of the lender.