1Esdras:3

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* Now when Darius reigned , he made a great feast unto all his subjects , and unto all his household , and unto all the princes of Media and Persia , * And to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him , from India unto Ethiopia , of an hundred twenty and seven provinces . * And when they had eaten and drunken , and being satisfied were gone home , then Darius the king went into his bedchamber , and slept , and soon after awaked . * Then three young men , that were of the guard that kept the king 's body , spake one to another ; * Let every one of us speak a sentence : he that shall overcome , and whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others , unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts , and great things in token of victory : * As , to be clothed in purple , to drink in gold , and to sleep upon gold , and a chariot with bridles of gold , and an headtire of fine linen , and a chain about his neck : * And he shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom , and shall be called Darius his cousin . * And then every one wrote his sentence , sealed it , and laid it under king Darius his pillow ; * And said that , when the king is risen , some will give him the writings ; and of whose side the king and the three princes of Persia shall judge that his sentence is the wisest , to him shall the victory be given , as was appointed . * The first wrote , Wine is the strongest . * The second wrote , The king is strongest . * The third wrote , Women are strongest : but above all things Truth beareth away the victory . * Now when the king was risen up , they took their writings , and delivered them unto him , and so he read them : * And sending forth he called all the princes of Persia and Media , and the governors , and the captains , and the lieutenants , and the chief officers ; * And sat him down in the royal seat of judgment ; and the writings were read before them . * And he said , Call the young men , and they shall declare their own sentences . So they were called , and came in . * And he said unto them , Declare unto us your mind concerning the writings . Then began the first , who had spoken of the strength of wine ; * And he said thus , O ye men , how exceeding strong is wine ! it causeth all men to err that drink it : * It maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one ; of the bondman and of the freeman , of the poor man and of the rich : * It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth , so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt : * And it maketh every heart rich , so that a man remembereth neither king nor governor ; and it maketh to speak all things by talents : * And when they are in their cups , they forget their love both to friends and brethren , and a little after draw out swords : * But when they are from the wine , they remember not what they have done . * O ye men , is not wine the strongest , that enforceth to do thus ? And when he had so spoken , he held his peace .

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