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1 Watching for riches consumeth the flesh, and the care thereof driveth away sleep. 2 Watching care will not let a man slumber, as a sore disease breaketh sleep, 3 The rich hath great labour in gathering riches together; and when he resteth, he is filled with his delicates. 4 The poor laboureth in his poor estate; and when he leaveth off, he is still needy. 5 He that loveth gold shall not be justified, and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof. 6 Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present. 7 It is a stumblingblock unto them that sacrifice unto it, and every fool shall be taken therewith. 8 Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold. 9 Who is he? and we will call him blessed: for wonderful things hath he done among his people. 10 Who hath been tried thereby, and found perfect? then let him glory. Who might offend, and hath not offended? or done evil, and hath not done it? 11 His goods shall be established, and the congregation shall declare his alms. 12 If thou sit at a bountiful table, be not greedy upon it, and say not, There is much meat on it. 13 Remember that a wicked eye is an evil thing: and what is created more wicked than an eye? therefore it weepeth upon every occasion. 14 Stretch not thine hand whithersoever it looketh, and thrust it not with him into the dish. 15 Judge not thy neighbour by thyself: and be discreet in every point. 16 Eat as it becometh a man, those things which are set before thee; and devour note, lest thou be hated. 17 Leave off first for manners' sake; and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend. 18 When thou sittest among many, reach not thine hand out first of all. 19 A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured, and he fetcheth not his wind short upon his bed. 20 Sound sleep cometh of moderate eating: he riseth early, and his wits are with him: but the pain of watching, and choler, and pangs of the belly, are with an unsatiable man. 21 And if thou hast been forced to eat, arise, go forth, vomit, and thou shalt have rest. 22 My son, hear me, and despise me not, and at the last thou shalt find as I told thee: in all thy works be quick, so shall there no sickness come unto thee. 23 Whoso is liberal of his meat, men shall speak well of him; and the report of his good housekeeping will be believed. 24 But against him that is a niggard of his meat the whole city shall murmur; and the testimonies of his niggardness shall not be doubted of. 25 Shew not thy valiantness in wine; for wine hath destroyed many. 26 The furnace proveth the edge by dipping: so doth wine the hearts of the proud by drunkeness. 27 Wine is as good as life to a man, if it be drunk moderately: what life is then to a man that is without wine? for it was made to make men glad. 28 Wine measurably drunk and in season bringeth gladness of the heart, and cheerfulness of the mind: 29 But wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind, with brawling and quarrelling. 30 Drunkenness increaseth the rage of a fool till he offend: it diminisheth strength, and maketh wounds. 31 Rebuke not thy neighbour at the wine, and despise him not in his mirth: give him no despiteful words, and press not upon him with urging him [to drink.]
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[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Sirach 31:8
How can one approve those who seem to dominate in this world, if they do less than they can? The Scripture praises precisely the one “who could have sinned but did not, who did not run after gold.” Gold must follow you, and not you gold. In fact, gold is a good thing—certainly God created nothing evil. Don’t you be evil, then, and the gold good. See here, I place some gold between an upright person and a dishonest one. If the dishonest person takes it, the poor are oppressed, magistrates corrupted, laws broken, social life upset. Why? Because a dishonest person took the gold. If the upright person were to have it, the poor would be sustained, the naked clothed, the oppressed liberated, prisoners redeemed. How much good is derived from the gold the honest person has, and how many evils from the gold of the dishonest person! To what end, therefore, do you say in disgust, “And what if gold did not exist at all?” You should not love gold. If you are dishonest, you will follow gold. If you are upright, it will follow you. What does “it will follow you” mean? That you will rule it and not be made its servant, because you will possess it, rather than being possessed by it.

Source: SERMON 311:9.9
[AD 455] Prosper of Aquitaine on Sirach 31:10
If we go back to the beginnings of the world, we find that the Spirit of God guided all of the saints before the flood, and for this reason they are also called children of God, since, as the apostle says, “All those who are guided by the Spirit of God are children of God.” And because, neglecting to obey the ancestors, they became involved in illicit and reprobate marriages, and because of this wicked communion were judged worthy of extermination, the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain forever with these people, for they are flesh.” From this it is clear that this people, whose history is narrated year by year in an orderly manner, was first spiritual, that is, having a will that was guided by the Holy Spirit, in such a way however that this government and guidance did not take away their freedom to turn toward sin. If the people had not exercised this freedom, they would not have abandoned God. Nor would they have been abandoned by God, and they would rather have been that of which it is written, “Happy the one who could have sinned but did not.” Therefore, as long as they remained with God, they remained in the will that God inspired in them and by which he would have governed them. “The will,” as it is written, “is predisposed by the Lord.”

Source: THE CALL OF ALL NATIONS 2:10
[AD 407] John Chrysostom on Sirach 31:20
Let us first examine the vice considered the most attractive, that of a fine table. Tell me, then, of its time and for what part of the day it detains us: such a small part, in fact, that it is difficult even to calculate. From the moment one begins to feel full, pleasure ceases. And not only that, it ceases even earlier, passing more swiftly than a running stream, even while the food is still between the teeth, and cannot last beyond the swallowing of the food itself. As soon as food passes the teeth, it loses all of its attractiveness. I will not go on about the evils that follow or how great is the storm that derives from the pleasures of the table. In fact, the one who abstains not only feels more at ease but also feels lighter and rests more easily than the one who lies down on his bed oppressed by a full stomach. “Healthy sleep with moderate eating,” the Scripture says. Is there perhaps need to recall the illnesses, the disgust, the calamities, the wasted expense? From such meals, how many arguments, what envy, what calumnies result?

Source: AGAINST THE OPPONENTS OF THE MONASTIC LIFE 2:10
[AD 253] Origen of Alexandria on Sirach 31:27-28
“Bring me into the wine cellar.” The Bridegroom had stopped outside and was welcomed by the bride. Truly he had rested on her bosom. Many young maidens are not such as to be worthy of having the Bridegroom as their guest: “to the crowds” outside, he “speaks in parables.” How I fear that many of us are maidens! “Bring me into the wine cellar.” Why do I wait outside for so long? “See, I stand at the door and knock. If someone opens to me, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me.” “Bring me in.” Even now the divine Word says the same words: see that the Christ says, “Let me in.” He speaks also to you, catechumens, “Let me in,” not simply into the house but “into the wine cellar,” that your soul might be filled with the “wine of delight,” the wine of the Holy Spirit. Thus, “bring into” your “house” the Bridegroom, the Word, Wisdom, the Truth. Thus it can also be said of those who are not yet perfect, “Bring me into the wine cellar.”

Source: HOMILIES ON THE SONG OF SONGS 2:7
[AD 397] Ambrose of Milan on Sirach 31:27-28
God, knowing well that wine drunk in moderation contributes to health and increases discernment, whereas gulped without measure, it gives birth to vices, gave us this creature. He left to human freedom, however, the possibility of using it abundantly, so that the frugality of nature might be a lesson in sobriety and the human condition would impute to itself the damage of abuse and the guilt of drunkenness. Noah became drunk and, groggy from wine, fell into a deep sleep. In this way he who gained glory through the flood was disgraced by wine. But the Lord also preserved in wine the good qualities of his creature, to the extent of making its fruit contribute to our salvation, making the forgiveness of our sins derive from it.

Source: HEXAMERON 5:17.72