The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 49

A¹🔗nd now, my children, be not drunk with wine; for wine turneth the mind away from the truth, and kindleth in it the passion of lust, and leadeth the eyes into error.

²🔗 For the spirit of fornication hath wine as a minister to give pleasures to the mind; for these two take away the power from a man.

³🔗 For if a man drink wine to drunkenness, he disturbeth his mind with filthy thoughts to fornication, and exciteth his body to carnal union; and if the cause of the desire be present, he worketh the sin, and is not ashamed.

⁴🔗 Such is wine, my children; for he who is drunken reverenceth no man.

⁵🔗 For, lo, it made me also to err, so that I was not ashamed of the multitude in the city, because before the eyes of all I turned aside unto Tamar, and I worked a great sin, and I uncovered the covering of the shame of my sons.

⁶🔗 After that I drank wine I reverenced not the commandment of God, and I took a woman of Canaan to wife.

⁷🔗 Wherefore, my children, he who drinketh wine needeth discretion; and herein is discretion in drinking wine, that a man should drink as long as he keepeth decency; but if he go beyond this bound, the spirit of deceit attacketh his mind and worketh his will; and it maketh the drunkard to talk filthily, and to transgress and not to be ashamed, but even to exult in his dishonour, accounting himself to do well.