31 Waking of honesty shall make fleshes to fail (Waiting for, or Watching over, riches shall make the flesh to pine away); and (the much) thought thereof shall take away sleep. [The waking of honesty, (or The waiting for, or The watching over, riches), shall dwindle the flesh; and the thinking of (or about) it shall do away sleep.]
2 Thought(s) of before-knowing turneth away wit; and grievous sickness maketh sober the soul. [The thinking of before-cunning turneth away wit; and heavy infirmity sober maketh the soul.]
3 A rich man travailed in the gathering of (his) chattel; and in his rest he shall be filled with his goods. [The rich man travailed in the gathering of substance; and in his rest he shall be full-filled with his goods.]
4 A poor man travailed in (the) decreasing [or in 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 (pur)sueth [or followeth] (after) wasting (or corruption), 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 of them was made in the fairness thereof. [Many be given into the fallings of gold; and the loss of them is made in the fairness of it.]
7 A tree of offence (or of stumbling) is the gold of them that make sacrifice; woe to them that (pur)sue [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. [Blessful is the rich man, that is found without wem; and that after gold went not, nor hoped in money, and treasures.]
9 Who is this, and we shall praise him? for he did marvels in his life.
10 Which is proved, (or tried, or tested) therein, and is found perfect, and everlasting glory shall be to him? which might trespass, and trespassed not, and do evils, and did not. [Who is proved in it (or Who is tested by it), and perfect is found, and shall be to him everlasting glory? that might trespass, trespassed not, and do evils, and did not.]
11 Therefore his goods be established in the Lord; and all the church of saints shall tell out his alms-deeds.
12 Thou hast set at a great board (or at 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, that an evil eye is wayward [or evil is the shrewd (or the depraved) eye]. What thing worse, than an eye is made? therefore of all his face he shall weep, when he seeth. (Remember that an evil eye is a wicked thing. Yea, what worse thing is made, than an eye? for out of all the parts of a face, it shall weep, when one 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. [Not stretch thou out thine hand rather (or first); and by envy defouled, thou shame. Not be thou thrust together in the feast with wine.]
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. [Use as a temperate man these things that be laid to thee; and not when thou eatest, much to hate thou be had.]
17 Cease thou first because of learning, either nurture; and do not thou be outrageous, lest peradventure thou offend. [Cease rather (or first) because of discipline; and do thou not be too much, lest peradventure thou offend.]
18 And if thou hast set in the midst [or in the middle] 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. [The shining in loaves the lips of many shall bless; and the witnessing of the truth of him faithful.]
24 The city shall grudge (or grumble) in the worst bread; and the witnessing of wickedness thereof is sooth. [In the most wicked bread grudged the city; and the witnessing of the wickedness of it is very (or it is true).]
25 Do not thou excite them that be diligent in wine [or Busy men in wine do not thou stir (or Do not thou stir up men busy 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 measurably, 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 drunkenness, at the beginning. [Even life to men wine in soberness; if thou drinkest it measurably, thou shalt be sober. What is the life that is less(en)ed with wine? What beguileth the life? death. Wine in mirth is formed, not in drunkenhood, 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, and many fallings, or mischiefs. [Wine much drunk stirring, and wrath, and many fallings maketh.]
30 Wine drunken much is bitterness of (the) soul. Strength of drunkenness and hurting of an unprudent man maketh virtue less, and making wounds. [Bitterness of soul wine much drunken. The willfulness of drunkenhood the offensions of the unprudent, less(en)ing virtue, 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.
