For those who have ears to hear!

Sir. 13:1    Whoever touches tar will get dirty,

and those who associate with the arrogant will become like them.

² Don’t lift something

that’s too heavy for you,

and don’t associate with people

who are more powerful and rich

than you are.

What does a clay pot have in common

with a metal cauldron?

The one will knock against the other

and be shattered.

³ Rich people inflict injury,

but then act as if they’re the ones

who have been wronged;

the poor suffer injury,

but they’re the ones

who must apologize.

⁴ If you are useful to the rich,

they will work with you,

but if you are in need,

they will abandon you.

⁵ If you own anything,

they will live with you;

they will exhaust what you have,

and they won’t suffer.

⁶ If they need you, they will deceive you

and smile at you and give you hope;

they will speak nicely to you and say,

“What do you need?”

⁷ They will embarrass you

with their fine foods,

until they have cleaned you out

two or three times over.

In the end they will mock you,

and after these things,

they will see you and abandon you

and shake their heads at you. (CEV)