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CHAPTER 31
1 Waking of honesty shall make fleshes to fail, (or Waiting for, or Watching over riches shall make the flesh to pine away); and (the much) thought thereof shall take away sleep.
2 Thought(s) of before-knowing turn-eth away wit; and grievous sickness maketh sober the soul.
3 A rich man travailed in the gather-ing of (his) chattel [or (his) substance]; and in his rest he shall be filled with his goods.
4 A poor man travailed in (the) decreasing [or the less(en)ing] of (his) lifelode; and in the end he is made needy. (A poor man worked hard, even though his livelihood continued to decrease; and in the end, he is still needy.)
5 He that loveth gold, shall not be justified; and he that pursueth [or followeth](after) wasting (or corrup-tion), shall be [full]-filled thereof.
6 Many men be given into the fallings of gold, that is, many men felled into sins for gold; and the perdition [or the loss] of them was made in the fairness thereof [or of it].
7 A tree of offension, (or of offence, or a stumbling block), is the gold of them that make sacrifice; woe to them that pursue [or follow] it, and each unprudent man shall perish therein.
8 Blessed is a rich man, which is found without wem of covetousness and avarice; and that went not after gold, neither hoped in money, and treasures.
9 Who is this, and we shall praise him? for he did marvels in his life.
10 Which [or Who] is proved, (or tried, or tested) therein [or in (or by) it], and is found perfect, and ever-lasting glory shall be to him? which might trespass, and trespassed not, and do evils, and did not.
11 Therefore his goods be estab-lished in the Lord; and all the church of saints shall tell out his alms-deeds.
12 Thou hast set at a great board (or a bountiful table); open thou not first thy cheek on it, that is, begin thou not to eat first. [And] Say thou not, whether those be many things, that be on it.
13 Have thou mind (or Remember), that an evil eye is (a) wayward, [or shrewd, (or depraved)](thing). What thing worse, than an eye is made? therefore of all his face he (or it) shall weep, when he seeth.
14 Stretch thou not forth first thine hand; and thou defouled by envy, be ashamed. Be thou not oppressed of (or by) wine in a feast.
15 Understand of thyself the things, that be of thy neighbour. [Understand what be of thy neighbour, of thyself.]
16 Use thou as a discreet and temperate man these things that be set forth to thee; and (so) be thou not hated, when thou eatest (too) much.
17 Cease thou first because of learn-ing, either nurture; and do not thou be outrageous [or do thou not be too much], lest peradventure thou offend.
18 And if thou hast set in the midst of many men, stretch not forth [or not stretch thou out] thine hand sooner than they; and ask thou not first for to drink.
19 A little wine is full(y) sufficient to a learned man; and in sleeping thou shalt not travail for that wine, and thou shalt not feel travail.
20 Waking, and choler, either bitter moisture, and gnawing [or anguish] to an undiscreet and untemperate man. But the sleep of health is in a scarce (or a moderate) man; he shall sleep unto the morrowtide; and his soul (or his body) shall delight with him.
21 And if thou art constrained in eating [too] much, rise thou from the midst, and spew thou; and it shall refresh thee, and thou shalt not bring sickness to thy body.
22 Son, hear thou me, and despise thou not me; and at the last thou shalt find (that) my words (be true). In all thy works be thou swift; and all sickness shall not come to thee.
23 The lips of many men shall bless a shining man in loaves; and the witnessing of his truth is faithful.
24 The city shall grutch (or grumble) in the worst bread; and the witness-ing of wickedness thereof is sooth (or true).
25 Do not thou excite [or stir (up)] them that be diligent [or busy] in (or with) wine; for why wine hath destroyed many men.
26 Fire proveth hard iron; so wine drunken in drunkenness shall reprove the hearts of proud men.
27 Even life to men is wine drunken in soberness; if thou drinkest it meas-urably, thou shalt be sober. What is the life which is made less by wine? What defraudeth life? death. Wine was made in gladness, not in drunken-ness, at [or from] the beginning.
28 Wine drunken measurably is full out joying of soul and of body. Sober drink is (the) health of (the) soul and of (the) body.
29 Wine drunken much maketh voiding, and ire [or wrath], and many fallings, or mischiefs.
30 Wine drunken much is bitterness of (the) soul. Strength of drunkenness and hurting of an unprudent man maketh virtue less, and making wounds.
31 In the feast of wine, reprove thou not a neighbour; and despise thou not him in his mirth. Say thou not words of shame [or of reproof] to him; and oppress thou not him in [again]-asking.

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© 2001,2010,2011,2012,2013,2015 Terry Noble