On wealth
1 Sleeplessness over wealth makes the body waste away, and anxiety about wealth keeps sleep away.
2
Worrying will keep you awake, and serious illness will chase sleep away.
3
Rich people have worked to accumulate money, and when they rest, they fill themselves with their luxuries.
4
Poor people have worked to eke out a living, and when they rest, they become needy again.
5
Whoever loves gold won't be declared just, and whoever pursues profits will be led astray by them.
6
Many have been ruined because of gold, and their destruction has met them head-on.
7
It's a stumbling block for those who are possessed by it, and it will take every senseless person captive.
8
Happy are the rich who are without blame and who don't follow after gold.
9
Who are they, so that we might praise them? They have done wonders among the people.
10
Who has been tested by wealth and been found perfect? For them it will be a reason to boast. Who had the power to sin and didn't, and could do evil but didn't?
11
The possessions of such people will be secure, and the congregation will tell of their acts of charity.
Behavior at meals
12 Have you been seated at a magnificent table? Don't be greedy as you sit there, and don't say, "Look how much food there is!"
13
Remember, a greedy eye is a bad thing. What has been created more greedy than the eye? For this reason, every face sheds tears.
14
Don't reach out your hand for whatever you see, and don't crowd your dinner companion by reaching into the same bowl.
15
Put yourself in your companion's place, and be considerate in everything.
16
Eat what's put in front of you like a normal human being, and don't chew rudely, or you will be hated.
17
Be the first to stop, to show your good breeding, and don't be gluttonous; otherwise, you will offend.
18
If you have been seated with a lot of people, don't help yourself before they do.
19
A little food is more than enough for well-educated people! They won't gasp for breath when they lie down to sleep.
20
Healthy sleep depends on not stuffing yourself. Such people arise early and feel good. The gluttons suffer the pains of insomnia, nausea, and colic.
21
If you've overstuffed yourself, get up, vomit far away, and you will feel better.
22
Listen to me, my child, and don't show me contempt, and in the end you will understand what I'm saying; be careful in everything you do, and you will never fall sick.
23
People will bless those who are generous with bread; they give reliable testimony to the excellence of such people.
24
The city will murmur about those who are stingy with bread, giving accurate witness to the wickedness of such people.
25
Don't demonstrate your bravado in wine drinking, because wine has destroyed many.
26
A furnace tests the hardening of steel when it's dipped, so wine tests the heart when the arrogant quarrel.
27
If taken in moderation, wine makes people's lives better. What's life to those who don't have wine? It was created from the beginning to bring merriment.
28
The right amount of wine consumed at the right time makes for a joyful heart and a light spirit.
29
Too much wine drunk in the midst of strife and conflict makes for a bitter spirit.
30
Getting drunk causes fools to lose their temper and do themselves harm, reducing their strength, and adding injuries as well.
31
Don't correct your neighbors at a wine banquet, and don't show them contempt when they are partying; don't say any reproachful word to them, and don't trouble them with any demands.