“Whoever touches pitch
Gets dirty.
Whoever associates
With a proud person
Becomes like him.
Do not lift a weight
Too heavy for you.
Do not associate
With one mightier than you.
Do not associate
With one richer than you.
How can the clay pot associate
With the iron kettle?
The pot will strike against it.
The clay pot will be smashed.”
Be careful in your life. Do not touch the black pitch or you will get dirty. If you associate with proud people, you will become proud like them. Do not lift things that are too heavy for you. Do not associate with someone richer than you are. Otherwise you will be like the poor clay pot that gets smashed by the rich iron kettle, which is reminiscent of one of Aesop’s fables.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 