Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Chapter 31

¹Watching for riches consumeth the flesh, and the care thereof driveth away sleep. ²Watching care will not let a man slumber, as a sore disease breaketh sleep, ³The rich hath great labour in gathering riches together; and when he resteth, he is filled with his delicates. ⁴The poor laboureth in his poor estate; and when he leaveth off, he is still needy. ⁵He that loveth gold shall not be justified, and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof. ⁶Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present. ⁷It is a stumblingblock unto them that sacrifice unto it, and every fool shall be taken therewith. ⁸Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold.

⁹Who is he? and we will call him blessed: for wonderful things hath he done among his people. ¹⁰Who 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? ¹¹His goods shall be established, and the congregation shall declare his alms. ¹²If thou sit at a bountiful table, be not greedy upon it, and say not, There is much meat on it. ¹³Remember that a wicked eye is an evil thing: and what is created more wicked than an eye? therefore it weepeth upon every occasion. ¹⁴Stretch not thine hand whithersoever it looketh, and thrust it not with him into the dish. ¹⁵Judge not thy neighbour by thyself: and be discreet in every point. ¹⁶Eat as it becometh a man, those things which are set before thee; and devour not, lest thou be hated.

¹⁷Leave off first for manners’ sake; and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend. ¹⁸When thou sittest among many, reach not thine hand out first of all. ¹⁹A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured, and he fetcheth not his wind short upon his bed. ²⁰Sound 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. ²¹And if thou hast been forced to eat, arise, go forth, vomit, and thou shalt have rest. ²²My 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. ²³Whoso is liberal of his meat, men shall speak well of him; and the report of his good housekeeping will be believed. ²⁴But 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.

²⁵Shew not thy valiantness in wine; for wine hath destroyed many. ²⁶The furnace proveth the edge by dipping: so doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkeness. ²⁷Wine 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. ²⁸Wine measurably drunk and in season bringeth gladness of the heart, and cheerfulness of the mind: ²⁹But wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind, with brawling and quarrelling. ³⁰Drunkenness increaseth the rage of a fool till he offend: it diminisheth strength, and maketh wounds. ³¹Rebuke 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 .