Sirach 31

Apo

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 note, 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 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.]

Sep

1 ἀγρυπνία πλούτου ἐκτήκει σάρκας καὶ ἡ μέριμνα αὐτοῦ ἀφιστᾷ ὕπνον

2 μέριμνα ἀγρυπνίας ἀποστήσει νυσταγμόν καὶ ἀρρώστημα βαρὺ ἐκνήψει ὕπνον

3 ἐκοπίασεν πλούσιος ἐν συναγωγῇ χρημάτων καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀναπαύσει ἐμπίμπλαται τῶν τρυφημάτων αὐτοῦ

4 ἐκοπίασεν πτωχὸς ἐν ἐλαττώσει βίου καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀναπαύσει ἐπιδεὴς γίνεται

5 ὁ ἀγαπῶν χρυσίον οὐ δικαιωθήσεται καὶ ὁ διώκων διάφορα ἐν αὐτοῖς πλανηθήσεται

6 πολλοὶ ἐδόθησαν εἰς πτῶμα χάριν χρυσίου καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡ ἀπώλεια αὐτῶν κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν

7 ξύλον προσκόμματός ἐστιν τοῖς ἐνθουσιάζουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ πᾶς ἄφρων ἁλώσεται ἐν αὐτῷ

8 μακάριος πλούσιος ὃς εὑρέθη ἄμωμος καὶ ὃς ὀπίσω χρυσίου οὐκ ἐπορεύθη

9 τίς ἐστιν καὶ μακαριοῦμεν αὐτόν ἐποίησεν γὰρ θαυμάσια ἐν λαῷ αὐτοῦ

10 τίς ἐδοκιμάσθη ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐτελειώθη καὶ ἔσται αὐτῷ εἰς καύχησιν τίς ἐδύνατο παραβῆναι καὶ οὐ παρέβη καὶ ποιῆσαι κακὰ καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησεν

11 στερεωθήσεται τὰ ἀγαθὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐλεημοσύνας αὐτοῦ ἐκδιηγήσεται ἐκκλησία

12 ἐπὶ τραπέζης μεγάλης ἐκάθισας μὴ ἀνοίξῃς ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς φάρυγγά σου καὶ μὴ εἴπῃς πολλά γε τὰ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς

13 μνήσθητι ὅτι κακὸν ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός πονηρότερον ὀφθαλμοῦ τί ἔκτισται διὰ τοῦτο ἀπὸ παντὸς προσώπου δακρύει

14 οὗ ἐὰν ἐπιβλέψῃ μὴ ἐκτείνῃς χεῖρα καὶ μὴ συνθλίβου αὐτῷ ἐν τρυβλίῳ

15 νόει τὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἐκ σεαυτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὶ πράγματι διανοοῦ

16 φάγε ὡς ἄνθρωπος τὰ παρακείμενά σοι καὶ μὴ διαμασῶ μὴ μισηθῇς

17 παῦσαι πρῶτος χάριν παιδείας καὶ μὴ ἀπληστεύου μήποτε προσκόψῃς

18 καὶ εἰ ἀνὰ μέσον πλειόνων ἐκάθισας πρότερος αὐτῶν μὴ ἐκτείνῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου

19 ὡς ἱκανὸν ἀνθρώπῳ πεπαιδευμένῳ τὸ ὀλίγον καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀσθμαίνει

20 ὕπνος ὑγιείας ἐπὶ ἐντέρῳ μετρίῳ ἀνέστη πρωί καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ πόνος ἀγρυπνίας καὶ χολέρας καὶ στρόφος μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἀπλήστου

21 καὶ εἰ ἐβιάσθης ἐν ἐδέσμασιν ἀνάστα ἔμεσον πόρρω καὶ ἀναπαύσῃ

22 ἄκουσόν μου τέκνον καὶ μὴ ἐξουδενήσῃς με καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων εὑρήσεις τοὺς λόγους μου ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις σου γίνου ἐντρεχής καὶ πᾶν ἀρρώστημα οὐ μή σοι ἀπαντήσῃ

23 λαμπρὸν ἐπ᾽ ἄρτοις εὐλογήσει χείλη καὶ ἡ μαρτυρία τῆς καλλονῆς αὐτοῦ πιστή

24 πονηρῷ ἐπ᾽ ἄρτῳ διαγογγύσει πόλις καὶ ἡ μαρτυρία τῆς πονηρίας αὐτοῦ ἀκριβής

25 ἐν οἴνῳ μὴ ἀνδρίζου πολλοὺς γὰρ ἀπώλεσεν ὁ οἶνος

26 κάμινος δοκιμάζει στόμωμα ἐν βαφῇ οὕτως οἶνος καρδίας ἐν μάχῃ ὑπερηφάνων

27 ἔφισον ζωῆς οἶνος ἀνθρώποις ἐὰν πίνῃς αὐτὸν ἐν μέτρῳ αὐτοῦ τίς ζωὴ ἐλασσουμένῳ οἴνῳ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔκτισται εἰς εὐφροσύνην ἀνθρώποις

28 ἀγαλλίαμα καρδίας καὶ εὐφροσύνη ψυχῆς οἶνος πινόμενος ἐν καιρῷ αὐτάρκης

29 πικρία ψυχῆς οἶνος πινόμενος πολὺς ἐν ἐρεθισμῷ καὶ ἀντιπτώματι

30 πληθύνει μέθη θυμὸν ἄφρονος εἰς πρόσκομμα ἐλαττῶν ἰσχὺν καὶ προσποιῶν τραύματα

31 ἐν συμποσίῳ οἴνου μὴ ἐλέγξῃς τὸν πλησίον καὶ μὴ ἐξουθενήσῃς αὐτὸν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ αὐτοῦ λόγον ὀνειδισμοῦ μὴ εἴπῃς αὐτῷ καὶ μὴ αὐτὸν θλίψῃς ἐν ἀπαιτήσει

Vul

1 [Vigilia honestatis tabefaciet carnes,
et cogitatus illius auferet somnum.

2 Cogitatus præscientiæ avertit sensum,
et infirmitas gravis sobriam facit animam.

3 Laboravit dives in congregatione substantiæ,
et in requie sua replebitur bonis suis.

4 Laboravit pauper in diminutione victus,
et in fine inops fit.

5 Qui aurum diligit non justificabitur,
et qui insequitur consumptionem replebitur ex ea.

6 Multi dati sunt in auri casus,
et facta est in specie ipsius perditio illorum.

7 Lignum offensionis est aurum sacrificantium:
væ illis qui sectantur illud!
et omnis imprudens deperiet in illo.

8 Beatus dives qui inventus est sine macula,
et qui post aurum non abiit,
nec speravit in pecunia et thesauris.

9 Quis est hic? et laudabimus eum:
fecit enim mirabilia in vita sua.

10 Qui probatus est in illo, et perfectus est, erit illi gloria æterna:
qui potuit transgredi, et non est transgressus;
facere mala, et non fecit.

11 Ideo stabilita sunt bona illius in Domino,
et eleemosynas illius enarrabit omnis ecclesia sanctorum.]

12 [Supra mensam magnam sedisti?
non aperias super illam faucem tuam prior.

13 Non dicas sic: Multa sunt, quæ super illam sunt.

14 Memento quoniam malus est oculus nequam.

15 Nequius oculo quid creatum est?
ideo ab omni facie sua lacrimabitur, cum viderit.

16 Ne extendas manum tuam prior,
et invidia contaminatus erubescas.

17 Ne comprimaris in convivio.

18 Intellige quæ sunt proximi tui ex teipso.

19 Utere quasi homo frugi his quæ tibi apponuntur:
ne, cum manducas multum, odio habearis.

20 Cessa prior causa disciplinæ:
et noli nimius esse, ne forte offendas.

21 Et si in medio multorum sedisti,
prior illis ne extendas manum tuam,
nec prior poscas bibere.

22 Quam sufficiens est homini eruditio vinum exiguum!
et in dormiendo non laborabis ab illo,
et non senties dolorem.

23 Vigilia, cholera et tortura viro infrunito,

24 somnus sanitatis in homine parco:
dormiet usque mane,
et anima illius cum ipso delectabitur.

25 Et si coactus fueris in edendo multum,
surge e medio, evome, et refrigerabit te,
et non adduces corpori tuo infirmitatem.

26 Audi me, fili, et ne spernas me,
et in novissimo invenies verba mea.

27 In omnibus operibus tuis esto velox,
et omnis infirmitas non occurret tibi.

28 Splendidum in panibus benedicent labia multorum,
et testimonium veritatis illius fidele.

29 Nequissimo in pane murmurabit civitas,
et testimonium nequitiæ illius verum est.

30 Diligentes in vino noli provocare:
multos enim exterminavit vinum.

31 Ignis probat ferrum durum:
sic vinum corda superborum arguet in ebrietate potatum.

32 Æqua vita hominibus vinum in sobrietate:
si bibas illud moderate, eris sobrius.

33 Quæ vita est ei qui minuitur vino?

34 Quid defraudat vitam? mors.

35 Vinum in jucunditatem creatum est,
et non in ebrietatem ab initio.

36 Exsultatio animæ et cordis vinum moderate potatum.

37 Sanitas est animæ et corpori sobrius potus.

38 Vinum multum potatum irritationem,
et iram, et ruinas multas facit.

39 Amaritudo animæ
vinum multum potatum.

40 Ebrietatis animositas, imprudentis offensio,
minorans virtutem, et faciens vulnera.

41 In convivio vini non arguas proximum,
et non despicias eum in jucunditate illius.

42 Verba improperii non dicas illi,
et non premas illum repetendo.]