Wycliffe - Sirach - 31

31:1  Wakyng of oneste schal make fleischis to faile; and thouyt therof schal take awei sleep.

31:2  Thouyt of bifore knowyng turneth awey wit; and greuouse siknesse makith sobre the soule.

31:3  A ryche man trauelide in the gaderyng of catel; and in his reste he schal be fillyd with hise goodis.

31:4  A pore man trauelide in decreessyng of lijflode; and in the ende he is maad nedi.

31:5  He that loueth gold, schal not be iustified; and he that sueth wastyng, schal be fillid therof.

31:6  Many men ben youun in to the fallyngis of gold; and the perdicioun of hem was maad in the feirnesse therof.

31:7  A tre of offencioun is the gold of hem that maken sacrifice; wo to hem that suen it, and ech vnprudent man schal perische ther ynne.

31:8  Blissid is a riche man, which is foundun with out wem; and that yede not aftir gold, nether hopide in money, and tresouris.

31:9  Who is this, and we schulen preyse hym? for he dide merueils in his lijf.

31:10  Which is preued ther ynne, and is foundun perfit, and euerlastynge glorye schal be to hym? which myyte trespasse, and trespasside not, and do yuels, and dide not.

31:11  Therfor hise goodis ben stablischid in the Lord; and al the chirche of seyntis schal telle out hise almesdedis.

31:12  Thou hast sete at a greet boord; opene thou not firste thi cheke on it.

31:13  Seie thou not, whether tho ben many thingis, that ben on it.

31:14  Haue thou mynde, that an yuel iye is weiward.

31:15  What thing worse, than an iye is maad? therfor of al his face he schal wepe, whanne he seeth.

31:16  Stretche thou not forth first thin hond; and thou defoulid bi enuye, be aschamed.

31:17  Be thou not oppressid of wyn in a feeste.

31:18  Vnderstonde of thi silf the thingis, that ben of thi neiybore.

31:19  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.

31:20  Ceesse thou first bicause of lernyng, ethir nurture; and nyle thou be outrageouse, lest perauenture thou offende.

31:21  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.

31:22  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.

31:23  Wakyng, and colre, ether bittir moisture, and gnawyng to an vndiscreet `either vntemperat man.

31:24  But the sleep of heelthe is in a scars man; he schal slepe `til to the morewtid, and his soule schal delite with hym.

31:25  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.

31:26  Sone, here thou me, and dispise thou not me; and at the laste thou schalt fynde my wordis.

31:27  In alle thi werkis be thou swift; and al sikenesse schal not come to thee.

31:28  The lippis of many men schulen blesse a schynynge man in looues; and the witnessyng of his treuthe is feithful.

31:29  The citee schal grutche in the worste breed; and the witnessyng of wickidnesse therof is soth.

31:30  Nyle thou excite hem that ben diligent in wyn; for whi wyn hath distried many men.

31:31  Fier preueth hard irun; so wyn drunkun in drunkenesse schal repreue the hertis of proude men.

31:32  Euene lijf to men is wyn drunkun in sobrenesse; if thou drynkist it mesurably, thou schalt be sobre.

31:33  What is the lijf which is maad lesse bi wyn?

31:34  What defraudith lijf? deth.

31:35  Wyn was maad in gladnesse, not in drunkenesse, at the bigynnyng.

31:36  Wyn drunkun mesurabli is ful out ioiyng of soule and of bodi.

31:37  Sobre drynk is helthe of soule and of bodi.

31:38  Wyn drunkun myche makith avoiding, and ire, and many fallyngis.

31:39  Wyn drunkun myche is bitternesse of soule.

31:40  Strengthe of drunkenesse and hirting of an vnprudent man makith vertu lesse, and makynge woundis.

31:41  In the feeste of wyn repreue thou not a neiybore; and dispise thou not hym in his mirthe.

31:42  Seye thou not wordis of schenschipe to hym; and oppresse thou not hym in axynge.