Sefarim
Ben Sira31
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 31
Watching for riches consumeth the flesh, and the care thereof driveth away sleep.
Watching care will not let a man slumber, as a sore disease breaketh sleep,
The rich hath great labour in gathering riches together; and when he resteth, he is filled with his delicates.
The poor laboureth in his poor estate; and when he leaveth off, he is still needy.
He that loveth gold shall not be justified, and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof.
Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present.
It is a stumblingblock unto them that sacrifice unto it, and every fool shall be taken therewith.
Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold.
Who is he? and we will call him blessed: for wonderful things hath he done among his people.
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?
His goods shall be established, and the congregation shall declare his alms.
If thou sit at a bountiful table, be not greedy upon it, and say not, There is much meat on it.
Remember that a wicked eye is an evil thing: and what is created more wicked than an eye? therefore it weepeth upon every occasion.
Stretch not thine hand whithersoever it looketh, and thrust it not with him into the dish.
Judge not thy neighbour by thyself: and be discreet in every point.
Eat as it becometh a man, those things which are set before thee; and devour note, lest thou be hated.
Leave off first for manners’ sake; and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend.
When thou sittest among many, reach not thine hand out first of all.
A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured, and he fetcheth not his wind short upon his bed.
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.
And if thou hast been forced to eat, arise, go forth, vomit, and thou shalt have rest.
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.
Whoso is liberal of his meat, men shall speak well of him; and the report of his good housekeeping will be believed.
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.
Shew not thy valiantness in wine; for wine hath destroyed many.
The furnace proveth the edge by dipping: so doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkeness.
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.
Sefarim
Ben Sira32
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 32
If thou be made the master
of a feast, lift not thyself up, but be among them as one of the rest; take diligent care for them, and so sit down.
And when thou hast done all thy office, take thy place, that thou mayest be merry with them, and receive a crown for thy well ordering of the feast.
Speak, thou that art the elder, for it becometh thee, but with sound judgment; and hinder not musick.
Pour not out words where there is a musician, and shew not forth wisdom out of time.
A concert of musick in a banquet of wine is as a signet of carbuncle set in gold.
As a signet of an emerald set in a work of gold, so is the melody of musick with pleasant wine.
Speak, young man, if there be need of thee: and yet scarcely when thou art twice asked.
Let thy speech be short, comprehending much in few words; be as one that knoweth and yet holdeth his tongue.
If thou be among great men, make not thyself equal with them; and when ancient men are in place, use not many words.
Before the thunder goeth lightning; and before a shamefaced man shall go favour.
Rise up betimes, and be not the last; but get thee home without delay.
There take thy pastime, and do what thou wilt: but sin not by proud speech.
And for these things bless him that made thee, and hath replenished thee with his good things.
Whoso feareth the master will receive his discipline; and they that seek him early shall find favour.
He that seeketh the torah shall be filled therewith: but the hypocrite will be offended thereat.
They that fear the master shall find judgment, and shall kindle justice as a light.
A sinful man will not be reproved, but findeth an excuse according to his will.
A man of counsel will be considerate; but a strange and proud man is not daunted with fear, even when of himself he hath done without counsel.
Do nothing without advice; and when thou hast once done, repent not.
Go not in a way wherein thou mayest fall, and stumble not among the stones.
Be not confident in a plain way.
And beware of thine own children.
In every good work trust thy own nephesh; for this is the keeping of the mitsvot.
He that believeth in the master taketh heed to the mitsvah; and he that trusteth in him shall fare never the worse.
Sefarim
Ben Sira33
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 33
There shall no evil happen unto him that feareth the master; but in temptation even again he will deliver him.
A wise man hateth not the torah; but he that is an hypocrite therein is as a ship in a storm.
A man of understanding trusteth in the torah; and the torah is faithful unto him, as an oracle.
Prepare what to say, and so thou shalt be heard: and bind up instruction, and then make answer.
The heart of the foolish is like a cartwheel; and his thoughts are like a rolling axletree.
A stallion horse is as a mocking friend, he neigheth under every one that sitteth upon him.
Why doth one day excel another, when as all the light of every day in the year is of the sun?
By the knowledge of the master they were distinguished: and he altered seasons and feasts.
Some of them hath he made high days, and hallowed them, and some of them hath he made ordinary days.
And all men are from the ground, and Adam was created of earth:
In much knowledge the master hath divided them, and made their ways diverse.
Some of them hath he blessed and exalted and some of them he sanctified, and set near himself: but some of them hath he cursed and brought low, and turned out of their places.
As the clay is in the potter’s hand, to fashion it at his pleasure: so man is in the hand of him that made him, to render to them as liketh him best.
Good is set against evil, and life against death: so is the godly against the sinner, and the sinner against the godly.
So look upon all the works of the most High; and there are two and two, one against another.
I awaked up last of all, as one that gathereth after the grapegatherers: by the blessing of the master I profited, and tred my winepress like a gatherer of grapes.
Consider that I laboured not for myself only, but for all them that seek learning.
Hear me, O ye great men of the people, and hearken with your ears, ye rulers of the congregation.
Give not thy son and wife, thy brother and friend, power over thee while thou livest, and give not thy goods to another: lest it repent thee, and thou intreat for the same again.
As long as thou livest and hast breath in thee, give not thyself over to any.
For better it is that thy children should seek to thee, than that thou shouldest stand to their courtesy.
In all thy works keep to thyself the preeminence; leave not a stain in thine honour.
At the time when thou shalt end thy days, and finish thy life, distribute thine inheritance.
Fodder, a wand, and burdens, are for the ass; and bread, correction, and work, for a servant.
If thou set thy servant to labour, thou shalt find rest: but if thou let him go idle, he shall seek liberty.
A yoke and a collar do bow the neck: so are tortures and torments for an evil servant.
Send him to labour, that he be not idle; for idleness teacheth much evil.
Set him to work, as is fit for him: if he be not obedient, put on more heavy fetters.
But be not excessive toward any; and without discretion do nothing.
If thou have a servant, let him be unto thee as thyself, because thou hast bought him with a price.
If thou have a servant, entreat him as a brother: for thou hast need of him, as of thine own nephesh: if thou entreat him evil, and he run from thee, which way wilt thou go to seek him?