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Sirach 29
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
Sirach 29
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
29 He that sheweth mercy, lendeth to his neighbour: and he that is stronger in hand, keepeth the commandments.
2 Lend to thy neighbour in the time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again in due time.
3 Reap thy word, and deal faithfully with him: and thou shalt always find that which is necessary for thee.
4 Many have looked upon a thing lent as a thing found, and have given trouble to them that helped them.
5 Till they receive, they kiss the hands of the lender, and in promises they humble their voice:
6 But when they should repay, they will ask time, and will return tedious and murmuring words, and will complain of the time:
7 And if he be able to pay, he will stand off, he will scarce pay one half, and will count it as if he had found it:
8 But if not, he will defraud him of his money, and he shall get him for an enemy without cause:
9 And he will pay him with reproaches and curses, and instead of honour and good turn will repay him injuries.
10 Many have refused to lend, not out of wickedness, but they were afraid to be defrauded without cause.
11 But yet towards the poor be thou more hearty, and delay not to shew him mercy.
12 Help the poor because of the commandment: and send him not away empty handed because of his poverty.
13 Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend: and hide it not under a stone to be lost.
14 Place thy treasure in the commandments of the most High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold.
15 Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and it shall obtain help for thee against all evil.
16 Better than the shield of the mighty, and better than the spear:
17 It shall fight for thee against thy enemy.
18 A good man is surety for his neighbour: and he that hath lost shame, will leave him to himself.
19 Forget not the kindness of thy surety: for he hath given his life for thee.
20 The sinner and the unclean fleeth from his surety.
21 A sinner attributeth to himself the goods of his surety: and he that is of an unthankful mind will leave him that delivered him.
22 A man is surety for his neighbour: and when he hath lost all shame, he shall forsake him.
23 Evil suretyship hath undone many of good estate, and hath tossed them as a wave of the sea.
24 It hath made powerful men to go from place to place round about, and they have wandered in strange countries.
25 A sinner that transgresseth the commandment of the Lord, shall fall into an evil suretyship: and he that undertaketh many things, shall fall into judgment.
26 Recover thy neighbour according to thy power, and take heed to thyself that thou fall not.
27 The chief thing for man's life is water and bread, and clothing, and a house to cover shame.
28 Better is the poor man's fare under a roof of boards, than sumptuous cheer abroad in another man's house.
29 Be contented with little instead of much, and thou shalt not hear the reproach of going abroad.
30 It is a miserable life to go as a guest from house to house: for where a man is a stranger, he shall not deal confidently, nor open his mouth.
31 He shall entertain and feed, and give drink to the unthankful, and moreover he shall hear bitter words.
32 Go, stranger, and furnish the table, and give others to eat what thou hast in thy hand.
33 Give place to the honourable presence of my friends: for I want my house, my brother being to be lodged with me.
34 These things are grievous to a man of understanding: the upbraiding of houseroom, and the reproaching of the lender.
Sirach 29
Common English Bible
Sirach 29
Common English Bible
Lending and borrowing
29 Those who show compassion
will lend to a neighbor,
and those who lend a helping hand
keep the commandments.
2 Lend to neighbors in their time of need,
and pay your neighbor back again
on time.
3 Keep your word,
and be trustworthy in your dealings,
and you will find what you need
every time.
4 Many think of a loan as a windfall,
and they have caused trouble
for those who have helped them.
5 Until they receive the loan,
they will kiss the hands of those
who can help,
and they will speak with deference
about their neighbor’s money,
but when it’s time for repayment,
they will put it off,
offer weak excuses,
and say it is a bad time.
6 If they can repay, their creditors
will barely recover half the amount,
and the creditors will consider
that much a windfall;
but if they can’t pay,
they have defrauded their creditors
of their money,
and they have made enemies
out of them needlessly.
They will repay their creditors
with curses and insults,
and they will repay them with dishonor
rather than glory.
7 Many have refused to make a loan,
not because they were vicious
but because they were cautious
about being needlessly cheated.
8 Even so, be patient with those
in humble circumstances,
and don’t make them wait for assistance.
9 Help the needy for the
commandment’s sake,
and in proportion to their need
don’t turn them away empty-handed.
10 Part with silver for a relative’s
or friend’s sake,
and don’t let it corrode under a stone
and be destroyed.
11 Invest your treasure
according to the commandments
of the Most High,
and it will profit you more than gold.
12 Store up acts of charity in your treasuries,
and it will deliver you
from every distress.
13 More than a sturdy shield
and more than a hefty spear,
it will fight for you against an enemy.
14 Good people will guarantee a loan
for neighbors,
and those who have lost any
sense of shame will abandon them.
15 Don’t forget the kindness of those
who have guaranteed a loan,
since they gave their life
on your behalf.
16 Sinners will ruin
their guarantor’s property,
17 and ungrateful persons
intentionally abandon their rescuers.
18 Guaranteeing a loan
has ruined many prosperous people
and tossed them about
like a wave on the sea.
It has led to the exile of the powerful,
and they have wandered
among foreign nations.
19 Sinners will fall into guaranteeing loans,
and when they chase profits,
they will fall into lawsuits.
20 Help your neighbor as much as you can,
but keep yourself from ruin.
Home and children
21 Life’s foundations are water,
bread, clothing,
and a house for ensuring privacy.
22 Better is the life of the poor
under a shelter of rafters
than magnificent food
in foreign countries.
23 Be content with a little or a lot,
and you will never be put down
for being a sojourner.
24 Going from house to house
is a miserable life,
and wherever you are an immigrant,
don’t open your mouth.
25 You will entertain and provide drink
without thanks,
and you will hear bitter words
such as these:
26 “Come here, foreigner, prepare a table;
and if there’s something in your hand,
feed it to me.
27 Go away, foreigner,
I have a reputable guest;
my brother has come to visit,
and I need the house.”
28 These are difficult things
for a person of intelligence:
criticism for being an immigrant
and rebuke from a moneylender.
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible