en_cepher - Sir 31 - Ozzuu Bible

¹ WATCHING for riches consumes the flesh, and the care thereof drives away sleep.

² Watching care will not let a man slumber, as a sore disease breaks sleep.

³ The rich has great labor in gathering riches together; and when he rests, he is filled with his delicates.

⁴ The poor labors in his poor estate; and when he leaves off, he is still needy.

⁵ He that loves gold shall not be justified, and he that follows corruption shall have enough thereof.

⁶ Gold has 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 has not gone after gold.

⁹ Who is he? and we will call him blessed: for wonderful things has he done among his people.

¹⁰ Who has been tried thereby, and found perfect? then let him glory. Who might offend, and has not offended? or done evil, and has not done it?

¹¹ His goods shall be established, and the assembly shall declare his alms.

¹² If you 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 weeps upon every occasion.

¹⁴ Stretch not your hand whithersoever it looks, and thrust it not with him into the dish.

¹⁵ Judge not your neighbor by yourself: and be discreet in every point.

¹⁶ Eat as it becomes a man, those things which are set before you; and devour not, lest you be hated.

¹⁷ Leave off first for manners' sake; and be not unsatiable, lest you offend.

¹⁸ When you sit among many, reach not your hand out first of all.

¹⁹ A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured, and he fetches not his wind short upon his bed.

²⁰ Sound sleep comes of moderate eating: he rises 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 you have been forced to eat, arise, go forth, vomit, and you shall have rest.

²² My son, hear me, and despise me not, and at the last you shall find as I told you: in all your works be quick, so shall there no sickness come unto you.

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 ungenerous of his meat the whole city shall murmur; and the testimonies of his stinginess shall not be doubted of.

²⁵ Show not your valiantness in wine; for wine has destroyed many.

²⁶ The furnace proves the edge by dipping: so does 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 brings gladness of the heart, and cheerfulness of the mind:

²⁹ But wine drunken with excess makes bitterness of the mind, with brawling and quarrelling.

³⁰ Drunkenness increases the rage of a fool till he offend: it diminishes strength, and makes wounds.

³¹ Rebuke not your neighbor 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.