Sirach 20:10-15

Good News Translation

¹⁰ Generosity will sometimes do you no good, but at other times it will repay you double.

¹¹ Honor can be followed by disgrace, but there are people who have risen from obscurity to places of honor.

¹² Sometimes what seems like a real bargain can turn out to be a very expensive mistake.

¹³ When a person with good judgment speaks, he wins friends. A stupid person, though, can shower compliments on everybody, and it won't help him a bit. ¹⁴ If such a person gives you something, it won't do any good; it won't be as valuable as he thinks it is.^{[a] 15} He isn't generous with anything but criticism, which he will shout for all the world to hear. If he lends you something today, he'll want it back tomorrow. (Don't you hate people like that?)