Ben Sira 31:17-27

17 It's good manners to be the first to stop eating; stuffing yourself is offensive.
18 If there are many people present, don't try to be the first to be served.
19 A little bit is plenty for anyone with good manners. Besides, you won't be short of breath when you go to bed.
20 People who eat too much get stomach aches and cannot sleep. If you don't overeat, you can get a good night's sleep and wake up early the next morning feeling fine.
21 But if you do get a stomach ache from eating too much, go off and vomit and you will feel better.
22 My child, if you listen to what I am saying and put it into practice, one of these days you will thank me for it. Be moderate in everything you do, and you will never get sick.
23 People appreciate a generous host, and he deserves their praise.
24 But everybody in town will complain about a host who is stingy with food, and their complaints are justified.
25 Don't try to prove your manhood by how much you can drink. Wine has been the ruin of many.
26 An arrogant person's character shows through when he is in a drunken argument, in the same way that iron is tested when it is heated red-hot and then dipped in water.
27 Wine can put new life into you if you drink it in moderation. What would life be like without it? Wine was created to make us happy.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. go off and vomit; [some manuscripts have] get up in the middle of the meal.
  • [b]. [Hebrew] moderate; [Greek] industrious.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.