²³ Do not take only water as your drink, but take a little wine for the good of your stomach, and because you are frequently ill.

⁸ Deacons, in the same way, are to be serious in their behaviour, not false in word, not given to taking much wine or greatly desiring the wealth of this world;

¹⁵ And wine to make glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face shining, and bread giving strength to his heart.

³ That old women are to be self-respecting in behaviour, not saying evil of others, not given to taking much wine, teachers of that which is good,

⁷ For it is necessary for a Bishop to be a man of virtue, as God's servant; not pushing himself forward, not quickly moved to wrath or blows, not desiring profit for himself;

³ Not quickly moved to wrath or blows, but gentle; no fighter, no lover of money;

¹⁸ And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;

⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to take wine, or for rulers to say, Where is strong drink?

⁵ For fear that through drinking they may come to have no respect for the law, wrongly judging the cause of those who are in trouble.

⁶ Give strong drink to him who is near to destruction, and wine to him whose soul is bitter:

⁷ Let him have drink, and his need will go from his mind, and the memory of his trouble will be gone.

⁴ Because everything which God has made is good, and nothing is evil, if it is taken with praise:

²¹ The priests are not to take wine when they go into the inner square.

⁹ Take no wine, or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of meeting, that it may not be the cause of death to you; this is an order for ever through all your generations.

¹⁰ And make a division between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean;

¹¹ Teaching the children of Israel all the laws which the Lord has given them by the hand of Moses.