Sirach 34 — UBES

34Verse 1Watching for riches consumeth the flesh,
And the care thereof driveth away sleep.
^{Verse 2}Watching care will not let a man slumber,
As a sore disease breaketh sleep.
^{Verse 3}The rich hath great labor in gathering riches together;
And when he resteth, he is filled with his delicacies.
^{Verse 4}The poor laboreth in his poor estate;
And when he leaveth off, he is still needy.^{Verse 5}He that loveth gold shall not be justified,
And he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof.
^{Verse 6}Gold hath been the ruin of many,
And their destruction was present.
^{Verse 7}It is a stumbling block unto them that sacrifice unto it,
And every fool shall be taken therewith.
^{Verse 8}Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish,
And hath not gone after gold.
^{Verse 9}Who is he? and we will call him blessed:
For wonderful things hath he done among his people.
^{Verse 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?
^{Verse 11}His goods shall be established,
And the congregation shall declare his alms.^{Verse 12}If thou sit at a bountiful table,
Be not greedy upon it,
And say not, There is much meat on it.
^{Verse 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.
^{Verse 14}Stretch not thy hand whithersoever it looketh,
And thrust it not with him into the dish.
^{Verse 15}Judge of thy neighbor by thyself:
And be discreet in every point.
^{Verse 16}Eat, as it becometh a man, those things which are set before thee;
And devour not, lest thou be hated.
^{Verse 17}Leave off first for manners’ sake;
And be not unsatiable, lest thou offend.
^{Verse 18}When thou sittest among many,
Reach not thy hand out first of all.
^{Verse 19}A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured,
And he fetcheth not his wind short upon his bed.
^{Verse 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.
^{Verse 21}And if thou hast been forced to eat,
Arise, go forth, vomit, and thou shalt have rest.^{Verse 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.
^{Verse 23}Whoso is liberal of his meat, men shall speak well of him;
And the report of his good housekeeping will be believed.
^{Verse 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.^{Verse 25}Show not thy valiantness in wine;
For wine hath destroyed many.
^{Verse 26}The furnace proveth the edge by dipping:
So doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkenness.
^{Verse 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.
^{Verse 28}Wine measurably drunk and in season
Bringeth gladness of the heart, and cheerfulness of the mind:
^{Verse 29}But wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind,
With brawling and quarreling.
^{Verse 30}Drunkenness increaseth the rage of a fool till he offend:
It diminisheth strength, and maketh wounds.
^{Verse 31}Rebuke not thy 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.