Sirach 43

¹ What thing worse, than an iye is maad? therfor of al his face he schal wepe, whanne he seeth. ² Stretche thou not forth first thin hond; and thou defoulid bi enuye, be aschamed. ³ Be thou not oppressid of wyn in a feeste. ⁴ Vnderstonde of thi silf the thingis, that ben of thi neiybore. ⁵ Vse thou as a discreet and temperat man these thingis that ben set forth to thee; and be thou not hatid, whanne thou etist myche. ⁶ Ceesse thou first bicause of lernyng, ethir nurture; and nyle thou be outrageouse, lest perauenture thou offende. ⁷ And if thou hast sete in the myddis of many men, stretche not forth thin hond sunnere than thei; and axe thou not firste for to drynke. ⁸ A litil wyn is ful sufficient to a lerned man; and in slepynge thou schalt not trauele for that wyn, and thou schalt not feele trauel. ⁹ Wakyng, and colre, ether bittir moisture, and gnawyng to an vndiscreet either vntemperat man.</span> <span class="verse" data-verse="10"><sup>10</sup> But the sleep of heelthe is in a scars man; he schal slepe til to the morewtid, and his soule schal delite with hym. ¹¹ And if thou art constreyned in etyng myche, ryse thou fro the myddis, and brake thou; and it schal refreische thee, and thou schalt not brynge sikenesse to thi bodi. ¹² Sone, here thou me, and dispise thou not me; and at the laste thou schalt fynde my wordis. ¹³ In alle thi werkis be thou swift; and al sikenesse schal not come to thee. ¹⁴ The lippis of many men schulen blesse a schynynge man in looues; and the witnessyng of his treuthe is feithful. ¹⁵ The citee schal grutche in the worste breed; and the witnessyng of wickidnesse therof is soth. ¹⁶ Nyle thou excite hem that ben diligent in wyn; for whi wyn hath distried many men. ¹⁷ Fier preueth hard irun; so wyn drunkun in drunkenesse schal repreue the hertis of proude men. ¹⁸ Euene lijf to men is wyn drunkun in sobrenesse; if thou drynkist it mesurably, thou schalt be sobre. ¹⁹ What is the lijf which is maad lesse bi wyn? ²⁰ What defraudith lijf? deth. ²¹ Wyn was maad in gladnesse, not in drunkenesse, at the bigynnyng. ²² Wyn drunkun mesurabli is ful out ioiyng of soule and of bodi. ²³ Sobre drynk is helthe of soule and of bodi. ²⁴ Wyn drunkun myche makith avoiding, and ire, and many fallyngis. ²⁵ Wyn drunkun myche is bitternesse of soule. ²⁶ Strengthe of drunkenesse and hirting of an vnprudent man makith vertu lesse, and makynge woundis. ²⁷ In the feeste of wyn repreue thou not a neiybore; and dispise thou not hym in his mirthe. ²⁸ Seye thou not wordis of schenschipe to hym; and oppresse thou not hym in axynge. ³⁰ Thei han set thee a gouernour, nyle thou be enhaunsid; be thou among hem as oon of hem. ³¹ Haue thou cure of hem, and so biholde thou; and whanne al thi cure is fillid, sitte thou to mete. ³² That thou be glad for hem, and take the ournement of grace; and gete coroun, and dignyte of congregacioun. ³³ Speke thou the gretter man in birthe;