The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus 31

¹ Watching for riches consumeth the flesh and the care thereof driveth away sleep ⚑

² Watching care will not let a man slumber as a sore disease breaketh sleep ⚑

³ The rich hath great labour in gathering riches together and when he resteth he is filled with his delicates ⚑

⁴ The poor laboureth in his poor estate and when he leaveth off he is still needy ⚑

⁵ He that loveth gold shall not be justified and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof ⚑

⁶ Gold hath been the ruin of many and their destruction was present ⚑

⁷ It is a stumblingblock unto them that sacrifice unto it and every fool shall be taken therewith ⚑

⁸ Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish and hath not gone after gold ⚑

⁹ Who is he and we will call him blessed for wonderful things hath he done among his people ⚑

¹⁰ Who hath been tried thereby and found perfect then let him glory Who might offend and hath not offended or done evil and hath not done it ⚑

¹¹ His goods shall be established and the congregation shall declare his alms ⚑

¹² If thou sit at a bountiful table be not greedy upon it and say not There is much meat on it ⚑

¹³ Remember that a wicked eye is an evil thing and what is created more wicked than an eye therefore it weepeth upon every occasion ⚑

¹⁴ Stretch not thine hand whithersoever it looketh and thrust it not with him into the dish ⚑

¹⁵ Judge not thy neighbour by thyself and be discreet in every point ⚑

¹⁶ Eat as it becometh a man those things which are set before thee and devour not lest thou be hated ⚑

¹⁷ Leave off first for nners’ sake and be not unsatiable lest thou offend ⚑

¹⁸ When thou sittest among many reach not thine hand out first of all ⚑

¹⁹ A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured and he fetcheth not his wind short upon his bed ⚑

²⁰ Sound sleep cometh of moderate eating he riseth early and his wits are with him but the pain of watching and choler and pangs of the belly are with an unsatiable man ⚑

²¹ And if thou hast been forced to eat arise go forth vomit and thou shalt have rest ⚑

²² My son hear me and despise me not and at the last thou shalt find as I told thee in all thy works be quick so shall there no sickness come unto thee ⚑

²³ Whoso is liberal of his meat men shall speak well of him and the report of his good housekeeping will be believed ⚑

²⁴ But against him that is a niggard of his meat the whole city shall murmur and the testimonies of his niggardness shall not be doubted of ⚑

²⁵ Shew not thy valiantness in wine for wine hath destroyed many ⚑

²⁶ The furnace proveth the edge by dipping so doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkeness ⚑

²⁷ Wine is as good as life to a man if it be drunk moderately what life is then to a man that is without wine for it was made to make men glad ⚑

²⁸ Wine measurably drunk and in season bringeth gladness of the heart and cheerfulness of the mind ⚑

²⁹ But wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind with brawling and quarrelling ⚑

³⁰ Drunkenness increaseth the rage of a fool till he offend it diminisheth strength and maketh wounds ⚑

³¹ Rebuke not thy neighbour at the wine and despise him not in his mirth give him no despiteful words and press not upon him with urging him to drink ⚑