The Holy Scripture
Chapter XXXIV
Watching for riches consumeth the flesh, and the care thereof driveth away sleep.
κεναὶ ἐλπίδες καὶ ψευδεῖς ἀσυνέτῳ ἀνδρί καὶ ἐνύπνια ἀναπτεροῦσιν ἄφρονας
Watching care will not let a man slumber, as a sore disease breaketh sleep.
ὡς δρασσόμενος σκιᾶς καὶ διώκων ἄνεμον οὕτως ὁ ἐπέχων ἐνυπνίοις
The rich hath great labour in gathering riches together; and when he resteth, he is filled with his delicacies.
τοῦτο κατὰ τούτου ὅρασις ἐνυπνίων κατέναντι προσώπου ὁμοίωμα προσώπου
The poor laboureth in his poor estate; and when he leaveth off, he is still needy.
ἀπὸ ἀκαθάρτου τί καθαρισθήσεται καὶ ἀπὸ ψευδοῦς τί ἀληθεύσει
He that loveth gold shall not be justified, and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof.
μαντεῖαι καὶ οἰωνισμοὶ καὶ ἐνύπνια μάταιά ἐστιν καὶ ὡς ὠδινούσης φαντάζεται καρδία
Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present.
ἐὰν μὴ παρὰ ὑψίστου ἀποσταλῇ ἐν ἐπισκοπῇ μὴ δῷς εἰς αὐτὰ τὴν καρδίαν σου
It is a stumblingblock unto them that sacrifice unto it, and every fool shall be taken therewith.
πολλοὺς γὰρ ἐπλάνησεν τὰ ἐνύπνια καὶ ἐξέπεσον ἐλπίζοντες ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς
Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold.
ἄνευ ψεύδους συντελεσθήσεται νόμος καὶ σοφία στόματι πιστῷ τελείωσις
Who is he? and we will call him blessed: for wonderful things hath he done among his people.
ἀνὴρ πεπλανημένος ἔγνω πολλά καὶ ὁ πολύπειρος ἐκδιηγήσεται σύνεσιν
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?
ὃς οὐκ ἐπειράθη ὀλίγα οἶδεν ὁ δὲ πεπλανημένος πληθυνεῖ πανουργίαν
His goods shall be established, and the congregation shall declare his alms.
πολλὰ ἑώρακα ἐν τῇ ἀποπλανήσει μου καὶ πλείονα τῶν λόγων μου σύνεσίς μου
If thou sit at a bountiful table, be not greedy upon it, and say not, There is much meat on it.
πλεονάκις ἕως θανάτου ἐκινδύνευσα καὶ διεσώθην τούτων χάριν
Remember that a wicked eye is an evil thing: and what is created more wicked than an eye? therefore it weepeth upon every occasion.
πνεῦμα φοβουμένων κύριον ζήσεται ἡ γὰρ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸν σῴζοντα αὐτούς
Stretch not thine hand whithersoever it looketh, and thrust it not with him into the dish.
ὁ φοβούμενος κύριον οὐδὲν εὐλαβηθήσεται καὶ οὐ μὴ δειλιάσῃ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ
Judge of thy neighbour by thyself: and be discreet in every point.
φοβουμένου τὸν κύριον μακαρία ἡ ψυχή τίνι ἐπέχει καὶ τίς αὐτοῦ στήριγμα
Eat, as it becometh a man, those things which are set before thee; and devour not, lest thou be hated.
οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν ὑπερασπισμὸς δυναστείας καὶ στήριγμα ἰσχύος σκέπη ἀπὸ καύσωνος καὶ σκέπη ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας φυλακὴ ἀπὸ προσκόμματος καὶ βοήθεια ἀπὸ πτώσεως
Leave off first for manners' sake; and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend.
ἀνυψῶν ψυχὴν καὶ φωτίζων ὀφθαλμούς ἴασιν διδούς ζωὴν καὶ εὐλογίαν
When thou sittest among many, reach not thine hand out first of all.
θυσιάζων ἐξ ἀδίκου προσφορὰ μεμωμημένη καὶ οὐκ εἰς εὐδοκίαν δωρήματα ἀνόμων
A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured, and he fetcheth not his wind short upon his bed.
οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐν προσφοραῖς ἀσεβῶν οὐδὲ ἐν πλήθει θυσιῶν ἐξιλάσκεται ἁμαρτίας
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.
θύων υἱὸν ἔναντι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ προσάγων θυσίαν ἐκ χρημάτων πενήτων
And if thou hast been forced to eat, arise, go forth, vomit, and thou shalt have rest.
ἄρτος ἐπιδεομένων ζωὴ πτωχῶν ὁ ἀποστερῶν αὐτὴν ἄνθρωπος αἱμάτων
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.
φονεύων τὸν πλησίον ὁ ἀφαιρούμενος ἐμβίωσιν καὶ ἐκχέων αἷμα ὁ ἀποστερῶν μισθὸν μισθίου
Whoso is liberal of his meat, men shall speak well of him; and the report of his good housekeeping will be believed.
εἷς οἰκοδομῶν καὶ εἷς καθαιρῶν τί ὠφέλησαν πλεῖον ἢ κόπους
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.
εἷς εὐχόμενος καὶ εἷς καταρώμενος τίνος φωνῆς εἰσακούσεται ὁ δεσπότης
Shew not thy valiantness in wine; for wine hath destroyed many.
βαπτιζόμενος ἀπὸ νεκροῦ καὶ πάλιν ἁπτόμενος αὐτοῦ τί ὠφέλησεν ἐν τῷ λουτρῷ αὐτοῦ
The furnace proveth the edge by dipping: so doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkenness.
οὕτως ἄνθρωπος νηστεύων ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ πάλιν πορευόμενος καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῶν τῆς προσευχῆς αὐτοῦ τίς εἰσακούσεται καὶ τί ὠφέλησεν ἐν τῷ ταπεινωθῆναι αὐτόν
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.
Wine measurably drunk and in season bringeth gladness of the heart, and cheerfulness of the mind:
but wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind, with brawling and quarrelling.
Drunkenness increaseth the rage of a fool till he offend: it diminisheth strength, and maketh wounds.
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].