Ecclesiasticus 31

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

2 ²Watching 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 ³He that loveth gold shall not be justified, and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof.

6 ⁴Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present.

7 It is a stumbling block unto them that sacrifice unto it, and every fool shall be taken therewith.

8 ⁵Blessed 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 ⁶tried 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, ⁷be 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 ⁸upon every occasion.

14 Stretch not thy hand whithersoever it looketh, and thrust it not with him into the dish.

15 ⁹Judge of 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 manners' sake; ^*and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend.

18 ^†When thou sittest among many, reach not thy 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: ¹in all thy works be quick, so shall there no sickness come unto thee.

23 ²Whoso is liberal of his meat, men shall speak well of him; and the report of his good house-keeping 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 ³valiantness in wine: ⁴for wine hath destroyed many.

26 The furnace proveth the edge by dipping: so doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkenness.

27 ⁵Wine is as good as life to a man, if it be drunk moderately: what is life 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 ⁶wine 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 works, ⁷and press not upon him with urging him [to drink.]