with wine, for wine twists the understanding away
from the truth, and confuses the sight of the eyes. Wine
led me astray, so that I felt no shame before the throngs of
people in the city, and I turned aside and went in to Tamar
in the presence of them, and committed a great sin. And
though a man be a king, if he leads an unchaste life, he loses
his kingship. I gave Tamar my staff, which is the stay of
my tribe, and my girdle-cord, which is power, and my signet-
diadem, which is the glory of my kingdom. I did penance
for all this, and unto old age I drank no wine, and ate no
flesh, and knew no sort of pleasure. Wine causes the secret
things of God and man to be revealed unto the stranger.
Thus did I disclose the commands of the Lord and the mysteries
of my father Jacob to the Canaanite woman Bath-shua,
though God had forbidden me to betray them. I also enjoin