Biblia Platense (Straubinger) · Catholic Public Domain Version
Eclesiástico 13
1El que tocare la pez, se ensuciará con ella; y al que trata con el soberbio, se le pegará la soberbia. Whoever touches pitch will be contaminated by it. And whoever associates with the arrogant will be clothed by arrogance.2Una buena carga se echa encima quien tiene trato con otro más poderoso que él. No te acompañes con quien es más rico que tú. Whoever associates with those more honorable than himself sets a burden on himself. And so, you should have no fellowship with someone who is wealthier than you.3¿Qué sacará la olla de estar junto al caldero? Cuando chocaren, quedará hecha pedazos. What will the cooking pot have in common with the earthen vessel? And when they collide with one another, one will be broken.4El rico hará un agravio, y aun bramará; el pobre recibirá un agravio, y habrá de callar. The rich man has suffered no injustice, and yet he fumes. But the poor man, though he has been wounded, will remain silent.5Si le haces regalos, te recibirá; cuando nada tengas que ofrecerle te abandonará. If you are generous, he will take you up; and when you have nothing, he will cast you aside.6Mientras tienes algo, se sentará a tu mesa, hasta que te haya consumido tu hacienda; pero no se compadecerá de ti. If you possess, he will feast with you, and he will empty you, and he will not grieve over you.7Si te ha menester, te engañará, y con semblante risueño te dará esperanzas, prometiéndote mil bienes, y te dirá: “¿Qué es lo que has menester?” If he has need of you, he will deceive you; and while smiling, he will give you hope. He will converse with you pleasantly, and he will say: “What is it that you need?”8Te confundirá con sus convites; hasta que te apure dos o tres veces, y a la postre se burlará de ti; y después, al verte, te volverá las espaldas y moverá sobre ti su cabeza. And he will impress you with his foods, until he has drained you two or three times, and in the very end, he will ridicule you. And afterward, when he sees you, he will abandon you, and he will shake his head at you.9Humíllate ante Dios, y espera de su mano. Humble yourself before God, and wait for his hands.10Mira que seducido no te humilles neciamente. Be careful. Otherwise, having been seduced into foolishness, you will be humiliated.11Guárdate de abatirte en tu sabiduría; no sea que humillado seas inducido a necedad. Do not choose to be low in your wisdom, otherwise, having been brought low, you will be seduced into foolishness.12Cuando te llame algún poderoso, excúsate; pues así serás llamado con mayor empeño. If you are invited by someone who is more powerful than you, you should decline. Otherwise, he will invite you all the more.13No seas importuno, para que no te eche de sí; ni te alejes de él, que vengas a ser olvidado. You cannot be rude to him, lest you be pushed away. And you cannot stray far from him, lest you be forgotten.14No te entretengues para hablar con él como con un igual, ni te fíes de las muchas palabras suyas; porque con hacerte hablar mucho hará prueba de ti, y como por pasatiempo te sonsacará tus secretos. You cannot hold a discussion with him as with an equal. You should not trust his many words. For by much talking, he will probe you, and while smiling, he will question you about your secrets.15Su corazón fiero observará tus palabras, y no te escaseará el mal trato y las prisiones. His cruel mind will store up your words; and he will not spare you from affliction, nor from prison.16Vete con tiento, y está alerta a lo que oyes, pues andas por el borde de tu ruina. Be cautious of yourself, and attend diligently to what you are hearing. For you are walking toward your own destruction.17Mas al oír estas cosas tenías presentes, aun durmiendo, y está alerta. Yet truly, while listening to these things, consider it as if it were a dream, and you will awaken.18Ama a Dios toda tu vida, e invócale para que te salve. Love God for your entire life, and call upon him for your salvation.19Todo animal ama a su semejante; así también todo hombre a su prójimo. Every animal loves its own kind; so also every man loves those closest to himself.20Todas las bestias se asocian con sus semejantes; así también se ha de acompañar todo hombre con su semejante. All flesh will join with whatever is similar to itself, and every man will associate with whomever is similar to himself.21Cuando el lobo trabe amistad con el cordero, entonces la tendrá el pecador con el justo. If a wolf would at any time have fellowship with a lamb, so also would a sinner have fellowship with the just.22¿Qué comunicación puede haber entre un hombre santo y un perro? O, ¿qué unión, entre un rico y un pobre? What fellowship does a holy man have with a dog? Or what portion do the wealthy have with the poor?23Presa del león es el asno montés en el desierto; así también los pobres son pasto de los ricos. In the desert, the wild donkey is the prey of the lion. So also are the poor the pasture of the rich.24Así como el soberbio detesta la humildad; así también el rico tiene aversión al pobre. And just as humility is an abomination to the arrogant, so also does the rich man abhor the poor man.25Si bambolea el rico, sus amigos le sostienen; mas en cayendo el pobre, aun sus familiares le echan a empellones. When a wealthy man has been shaken, he is strengthened by his friends. But when a lowly man has fallen, he is expelled even by those who know him well.26El rico que resbala, tiene muchos que le sostienen; habla con arrogancia, y aquellos le justifican. When a rich man has been deceived, many will help him recover; he has spoken arrogantly, and yet they justify him.27Mas el pobre que se desliza, tras eso es reprendido; habla cuerdamente, y no se hace caso de él. When a poor man has been deceived, in addition he is rebuked; he has spoken with understanding, and no place is given to him.28Habla el rico, y todos callan, y ensalzan su dicho hasta las nubes. The rich man has spoken, and all remain silent, and they repeat his words, even to the clouds.29Habla el pobre, y dicen: “¿Quién es ese?” Y si da un paso en falso, lo vuelcan por tierra. The poor man has spoken, and they say: “Who is this?” And if he stumbles, they will overthrow him.30Buenas son las riquezas en manos del que no tiene pecado en su conciencia; mas la pobreza es malísima a juicio del impío. Substance is good for him who has no sin on his conscience. And poverty is called very wicked by the mouth of the impious.31El corazón del hombre le hace demudar el semblante, o en bien, o en mal. The heart of a man changes his face, either for better or for worse.32La señal del buen corazón, que es un rostro bueno, lo hallarás difícilmente y a duras penas. You will find, with difficulty and much labor, the sign of a good heart and a good face.