Sirach 31

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	Peshitta
1 Watching for wealth consumes the flesh, and thinking about it takes away sleep.	1 ܫܗܪܐ ܡܕܝܒ ܒܣܪܗ ܕܥܬܝܪܐ ܘܨܦܬܐ ܡܦܪܕܐ ܫܢܬܗ
2 Anticipation in thought distracts the mind, and a grievous infirmity makes the soul sober.	2 ܨܦܬܐ ܕܡܙܘܢܐ ܕܚܩܐ ܢܘܡܬܐ ܘܡܪܥܐ ܬܩܝܦܐ ܡܦܪܕ ܫܢܬܐ
3 The rich man has labored in gathering wealth, and in his rest, he will be filled with his goods.	3 ܥܡ̇ܠ ܥܬܝܪܐ ܠܡܟ̇ܢܫܘ ܠܗ ܢܟ̈ܣܐ ܘܡܬܢܝܚ ܠܡܩܒܠܘ ܬܦܢܝ̈ܩܐ
4 The poor man has labored in his lowly way, and in the end, he may still be in need.	4 ܥܡ̇ܠ ܡܣܟܢܐ ܠܚܣܝܪܘܬܐ ܕܥܘܡܪܗ ܘܐܢ ܢܬܬܢܝܚ ܢܗܘܐ ܨܪܝܟܐ
5 Whoever loves gold will not be justified. And whoever pursues consumption will be consumed by it.	5 ܕܪܚ̇ܡ ܡܡܘܢܐ ܠܐ ܢܙܟܐ ܘܕܪܕܦ ܒܬܪ ܩܢܝܢܐ ܒܗ ܢܛܥܐ
6 Many have been caused to fall because of gold, and it became their ruin by its beauty.	6 ܣܓܝܐ̈ܐ ܓܝܪ ܕܗܘܘ ܥܬܝܪ̈ܐ ܘܐܬܬܟܠܘ ܥܠ ܢܟܣܝ̈ܗܘܢ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܠܡܦܨܝܘ ܐܢܘܢ ܡܢ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܐܦܠܐ ܠܡܦܪܩ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܝܘܡܐ ܕܩܨܗܘܢ
7 Gold is a stumbling block to those who sacrifice for it. Woe to those who pursue it eagerly, for all the imprudent will perish by it.	7 ܡܛܠ ܕܬܘܩܠܬܐ ܗܘ ܡܡܘܢܐ ܠܣܟ̈ܠܐ ܘܟܠ ܡ̇ܢ ܕܛܥ̇ܐ ܒܗ ܗ̣ܘ ܡܬܬܩܠ
8 Blessed is the rich man who is found to be without blemish. And blessed is he who has not gone after gold, nor placed his hope in money or treasures.	8 ܛܘܒܘܗܝ ܠܥܬܝܪܐ ܕܐܫܬܟܚ ܕܠܐ ܡܘܡܐ ܘܒܬܪ ܡܡܘܢܐ ܠܐ ܛܥܐ
9 Who is he? For we should praise him. For he has done wonderful things in his life.	9 ܡܢܘ ܗܢܐ ܘܢܫܒܚܝܘܗܝ ܕܣ̇ܓܝ ܓܒܪ̈ܘܬܐ ܥ̣ܒܕ ܒܥܡܗ
10 He has been tested by it, and has become perfect; he will have eternal glory. He was able to transgress, but he has not transgressed. He was able to do evil, but he has not done evil.	10 ܡܢ̣ܘ ܗܢܐ ܕܐܬܕܒܩ ܒܗ ܘܗܘܐ ܠܗ ܫܠܡܐ ܘܗ̣ܘܐ ܠܗ ܠܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܡܢ̣ܘ ܗܢܐ ܕܐܫܟܚ ܠܡܛܥܐ ܘܠܐ ܛ̇ܥ̣ܐ ܘܠܡܒܐܫܘ ܠܚܒܪܗ ܘܠܐ ܐܒܐܫ
11 Therefore, his good things are established in the Lord, and the entire Church of the saints will proclaim his almsgiving.	11 ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܢܥܫܢ ܛܘܒܗ ܘܬܫܒܚ̈ܬܗ ܢܬ̈ܢܝܢ ܟܢܘܫ̈ܬܐ
12 Are you seated at a great table? You should not open your mouth over it first.	12 ܒܪܝ ܐܢ ܬܬܒ ܥܠ ܦܬܘܪܗ ܕܓܒܪܐ ܥܬܝܪܐ ܠܐ ܬܦܬܚ ܓܓܪܬܟ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܘܠܐ ܬܐܡܪ ܕܠܐ ܣ̇ܦܩ ܠܝ
13 You should not speak in this way: “There are many things that are upon it.”	13 ܡܛܠ ܕܒܝܫܘܬ ܥܝܢܐ ܣܢܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܘܕܒܝܫ ܡܢܗ ܠܐ ܒܪܐ ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܡܢ ܩܕܡ ܟܠܡܕܡ ܙܝܥܐ ܥܝܢܐ ܘܡܢ ܐ̈ܦܐ ܕܡ̇ܥܐ ܕܡ̈ܥܐ
14 Remember that a wicked eye is evil.	14 ܡܐ ܕܚܙܝܬ ܠܐ ܬܘܫܛ ܐܝܕܟ ܘܒܠܓܬܐ ܠܐ ܬܚܒܘܨ ܐܝܕܟ
15 What has been made more wicked than the eye? Therefore, when it sees, it will shed tears over the entire face.	15 ܕܥ ܕܚܒܪܟ ܐܝܟ ܕܝܠܟ
16 You should not extend your hand first, for then, having been corrupted by envy, you would be ashamed.	16 ܠܥ̣ܣ ܐܝܟ ܓܒܪܐ ܡܕܡ ܕܣܝܡ ܩܕܡܝܟ ܘܠܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܓܓܪܢ ܕܠܐ ܬܣܬܢܐ
17 You should not press forward at a feast.	17 ܐܙܕܗܪ ܡܛܠ ܡܪܕܘܬܐ
18 Understand which things are your neighbor’s and not your own.	18 ܘܟܕ ܬܬܒ ܒܝܬ ܣܓܝܐ̈ܐ ܠܡܠܥܣ ܠܐ ܬܘܫܛ ܐܝܕܟ ܩܕܡܝܗܘܢ
19 Make use of the things that are set before you, just as a frugal man would. Otherwise, if you eat much, you will be hated.	19 ܡܕܡ ܓܝܪ ܙܥܘܪ ܡܣܬܗ ܕܙܕܝܩܐ ܘܥܠ ܡܫܟܒܗ ܠܐ ܢܬܬܙܝܥ
20 Cease eating first, for the sake of discipline. And do not eat to excess, lest you offend.	20 ܟܐܒܐ ܘܫܗܪܐ ܘܫܚܩܐ ܘܫܘܢܩܐ ܘܗܦܟ ܓܘܐ ܥܡ ܓܒܪܐ ܝܥܢܐ ܫܢܬܐ ܕܚܠܝܡܘܬܐ ܥܡ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܒܣܝܡܐܝܬ ܥܒܝܕ ܕܥܕܡܐ ܠܨܦܪܐ ܢܕܡܟ ܘܢܦܫܗ ܠܘܬܗ
21 And if you sit in the midst of many, you should not extend your hand before they do, and you should not be the first to ask for a drink.	21 ܘܐܢ ܬܬܐܠܨ ܒܡܐ̈ܟܠܬܐ ܓܕ ܢܦܫܟ ܡܢ ܡܨܥܬ ܓܘܐ ܘܬܬܢܝܚ
22 How sufficient is a little wine for a well-taught man! For in sleep, you will not labor because of it, and you will not feel pain.	22 ܫܡܥ ܒܪܝ ܘܠܐ ܬܒܣܪ ܥܠܝ ܘܠܚܪܬܐ ܬܫܟܚ ܡ̈ܠܝ ܒܟܠ ܥܒ̈ܕܝܟ ܗܘܝܬ ܡ̇ܟܝܟ ܘܟܠ ܒܝܫܐ ܠܐ ܬܬܩܪܒ ܠܟ
23 Worry, and disease, and torment are with an intemperate man.	23 ܥܝܢܐ ܛܒܬܐ ܥܠ ܠܚܡܐ ܡܒܪܟܐ ܘܣܗܕܘܬܐ ܛܒܬܐ ܡܗܝܡܢܐ
24 A healthy sleep is with a temperate man. He will sleep until morning, and his soul will be delighted with him.
25 And if you have been coaxed into eating too much, rise up, go outside, and vomit. And it will refresh you, and you will not bring sickness upon your body.	25 ܐܦ ܥܠ ܚܡܪܐ ܠܐ ܬܬܓܒܪ ܡܛܠ ܕܠܣܓ̈ܝܐܐ ܐܘܒܕ ܥܬܝܩܐ
26 Listen to me, son, for you should not spurn me. And in the very end, you will discover my words.	26 ܐܟܙܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܕܟܘܪܐ ܒ̇ܩܐ ܥ̇ܒܕܗ ܕܩܝܢܝܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܚܡܪܐ ܡܓܪܝܢܐ ܗܘ ܕܥܘܠܐ
27 In all your works, be prompt, and then no infirmity will befall you.	27 ܐܝܟ ܡ̈ܝܐ ܚ̈ܝܐ ܚܡܪܐ ܠܒܪܢܫܐ ܟܕ ܢܫܬܝܘܗܝ ܒܘܠܝܬܗ ܡܢܐ ܐܢܘܢ ܚܝܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܚܣܝܪ ܚܡܪܐ ܕܗ̣ܘ ܡܢ ܒܪܫܝܬ ܠܚܕܘܬܐ ܐܬܒܪܝ
28 The lips of many will bless the splendid in bread. For the testimony of his truthfulness is faithful.	28 ܚܕܘܬܐ ܕܠܒܐ ܘܬܦܢܝ̈ܩܐ ܘܥ̈ܕܢܐ ܛܒ̈ܐ ܚܡܪܐ ܕܡܫܬܬܐ ܒܘܠܝܬܗ
29 The city will murmur against the wicked in bread. For the testimony against his wickedness is true.	29 ܟܐܒܐ ܘܡܣܟܢܘܬܐ ܘܟܐܒ ܪܫܐ ܚܡܪܐ ܕܡܫܬܬܐ ܒܚܪܝܢܐ
30 Do not choose to provoke those who love wine. For wine has destroyed many.	30 ܣܓܝܐܘܬܐ ܕܚܡܪܐ ܥܒܕܬ ܠܣܟܠܐ ܬܘܩܠܬܐ ܚ̣ܣܪ ܚܝܠܗ ܘܣ̈ܓܝ ܨܘ̈ܠܦܬܗ
31 Fire tests the hardness of iron; similarly, drinking wine to inebriation will rebuke the hearts of the arrogant.	31 ܒܡܫܬܝܐ ܕܚܡܪܐ ܠܐ ܬ̇ܟܣ ܪܚܡܟ ܘܠܐ ܬܗܪܝܘܗܝ ܒܚܕܘܬܗ ܡ̈ܠܐ ܕܚܘܣܪܢܐ ܠܐ ܬܐܡܪ ܠܗ ܘܠܐ ܬܨܐ ܥܡܗ ܠܥܝܢ ܒܢܝ̈ܢܫܐ
32 Drinking wine in sobriety gives a contented life to men. If you drink it in moderation, you will be sober.
33 What is life to him who is diminished by wine?
34 What can cheat him of his life? Death.
35 From the beginning, wine was created for cheerfulness, but not for inebriation.
36 Wine taken in moderation lifts up the mind and the heart.
37 Sober drinking is healthful to mind and body.
38 Wine taken in excess stirs up conflict and anger, and brings many to ruin.
39 Wine taken in excess is bitter to the soul.
40 The effects of inebriation are a stumbling block to the imprudent, diminishing strength and causing wounds.
41 You should not argue with your neighbor during a banquet of wine. And you should not spurn him in his cheerfulness.
42 You should not speak words of reproach to him. And you should not press him with repeated requests.