A word of advice from Sirach

I make it a point to read through the deuterocanonical books (Apocrypha) once a year or so. Right now I'm in Sirach, and he has some good advice for today:

13:3 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. Sirach 13:3–7 (CEB)

Let those who have ears to hear, hear!