The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

There is one that is enriched by living sparingly, and this is the portion of his reward.

In that he saith: I have found me rest, and now I will eat of my goods alone:

And he knoweth not what time shall pass, and that death approacheth, and that he must leave all to others, and shall die.

Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and grow old in the work of thy commandments.

Abide not in the works of sinners. But trust in God, and stay in thy place,

For it is easy in the eyes of God on a sudden to make the poor man rich.

The blessing of God maketh haste to reward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.

Say not: What need I, and what good shall I have by this?

Say not: I am sufficient for myself: and what shall I be made worse by this?

In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things:

For it is easy before God in the day of death to reward every one according to his ways.

The affliction of an hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his works.

Praise not any man before death, for a man is known by his children.

Bring not every man into thy house: for many are the snares of the deceitful.

For as corrupted bowels send forth stinking breath, and as the partridge is brought into the cage, and as the roe into the snare: so also is the heart of the proud, and as a spy that looketh on the fall of his neighbour.

For he lieth in wait and turneth good into evil, and on the elect he will lay a blot.

Of one spark cometh a great fire, and of one deceitful man much blood: and a sinful man lieth in wait for blood.

Take heed to thyself of a mischievous man, for he worketh evils: lest he bring upon thee reproach for ever.

Receive a stranger in, and he shall overthrow thee with a whirlwind, and shall turn thee out of thy own.

If thou do good, know to whom thou dost it, and there shall be much thanks for thy good deeds.

Do good to the just, and thou shalt find great recompense: and if not of him, assuredly of the Lord.

For there is no good for him that is always occupied in evil, and that giveth no alms: for the Highest hateth sinners, and hath mercy on the penitent.

Give to the merciful and uphold not the sinner: God will repay vengeance to the ungodly and to sinners, and keep them against the day of vengeance.

Give to the good, and receive not a sinner.

Do good to the humble, and give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not to him, lest thereby he overmaster thee.

For thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done to him: for the Highest also hateth sinners, and will repay vengeance to the ungodly.

A friend shall not be known in prosperity, and an enemy shall not be hidden in adversity.

In the prosperity of a man, his enemies are grieved: and a friend is known in his adversity.

Never trust thy enemy for as a brass pot his wickedness rusteth:

Though he humble himself and go crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him.

Set him not by thee, neither let him sit on thy right hand, lest he turn into thy place, and seek to take thy seat and at the last thou acknowledge my words, and be pricked with my sayings.

Who will pity an enchanter struck by a serpent, or any that come near wild beasts? so is it with him that keepeth company with a wicked man, and is involved in his sins.

For an hour he will abide with thee: but if thou begin to decline, he will not endure it.

An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he lieth in wait, to throw thee into a pit.

An enemy weepeth with his eyes: but if he find an opportunity he will not be satisfied with blood:

And if evils come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first.

An enemy hath tears in his eyes, and while he pretendeth to help thee, will undermine thy feet.

He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance.

He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that hath fellowship with the proud, shall put on pride.

He shall take a burden upon him that hath fellowship with one more honourable than himself. And have no fellowship with one that is richer than thyself.

What agreement shall the earthen pot have with the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be broken.

The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he will fume: but the poor is wronged and must hold his peace.

If thou give, he will make use of thee: and if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.

If thou have any thing, he will live with thee, and will make thee bare, and he will not be sorry for thee.

If he have need of thee he will deceive thee, and smiling upon thee will put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and will say: What wantest thou?

And he will shame thee by his meats, till he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at last he will laugh at thee: and afterward when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.

Humble thyself to God, and wait for his hands.

Beware that thou be not deceived into folly, and be humbled.

Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly.

If thou be invited by one that is mightier, withdraw thyself: for so he will invite thee the more.

Be not troublesome to him, lest thou be put back: and keep not far from him, lest thou be forgotten.

Affect not to speak with him as an equal, and believe not his many words: for by much talk he will sift thee, and smiling will examine thee concerning thy secrets.

His cruel mind will lay up thy words: and he will not spare to do thee hurt, and to cast thee into prison.

Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to what thou hearest: for thou walkest in danger of thy ruin.

When thou hearest those things, see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt awake.

Love God all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.

Every beast loveth its like: so also every man him that is nearest to himself.

All flesh shall consort with the like to itself, and every man shall associate himself to his like.

If the wolf shall at any time have fellowship with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.

What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?

The wild ass is the lion's prey in the desert: so also the poor are devoured by the rich.

And as humility is an abomination to the proud: so also the rich man abhorreth the poor.

When a rich man is shaken, he is kept up by his friends: but when a poor man is fallen down, he is thrust away even by his acquaintance.

When a rich man hath been deceived, he hath many helpers: he hath spoken proud things, and they have justified him.

The poor man was deceived, and he is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and could have no place.

The rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and what he said they extol even to the clouds.

The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.

Riches are good to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is very wicked in the mouth of the ungodly.

The heart of a man changeth his countenance, either for good, or for evil.

The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.

Blessed is the man that hath not slipped by a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the remorse of sin.

Happy is he that hath had no sadness of his mind, and who is not fallen from his hope.

Riches are not comely for a covetous man and a niggard, and what should an envious man do with gold?

He that gathereth together by wronging his own soul, gathereth for others, and another will squander away his goods in rioting.

He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods.

There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and this is the reward of his wickedness:

And if he do good, he doth it ignorantly, and unwillingly: and at the last he discovereth his wickedness.

The eye of the envious is wicked: and he turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul.

The eye of the covetous man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: he will not be satisfied till he consume his own soul, drying it up.

An evil eye is towards evil things: and he shall not have his fill of bread, but shall be needy and pensive at his own table.

My son, if thou have any thing, do good to thyself, and offer to God worthy offerings.

Remember that death is not slow, and that the covenant of hell hath been shewn to thee: for the covenant of this world shall surely die.

Do good to thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability, stretching out thy hand give to the poor.

Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift overpass thee.

Shalt thou not leave to others to divide by lot thy sorrows and labours?

Give and take, and justify thy soul.

Before thy death work justice: for in hell there is no finding food.

All flesh shall fade as grass, and as the leaf that springeth out on a green tree.

Some grow, and some fall off: so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.

Every work that is corruptible shall fail in the end: and the worker thereof shall go with it.

And every excellent work shall be justified: and the worker thereof shall be honoured therein.

Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that shall meditate in his justice, and in his mind shall think of the all seeing eye of God.

He that considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after her as one that traceth, and stayeth in her ways.

He who looketh in at her windows, and hearkeneth at her door.

He that lodgeth near her house, and fastening a pin in her walls shall set up his tent high unto her, where good things shall rest in his lodging for ever.

He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches:

He shall be protected under her covering from the heat, and shall rest in her glory.

He that feareth God, will do good: and he that possesseth justice, shall lay hold on her,

And she will meet him as an honourable mother, and will receive him as a wife married of a virgin.

With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him, and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink: and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved.