A Father’s Discipline
1 A son is wise by the discipline of his father,
and a mocker does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of the mouth a man eats good things,
and the soul of the treacherous, violence.
3 One guarding his mouth is keeping his soul;
one opening his lips, destruction is unto him.
4 The soul of a sluggish one is desiring, and has nothing;
and the soul of the diligent ones is made fat.
5 A righteous one hates a word of falsehood,
and a wicked one causes stench and shame.
6 Righteousness guards the one of integrity in the way,
and wickedness overthrows the sinner.
7 There is one making himself rich and having nothing at all,
one making himself poor and having abundant wealth.
8 His riches are the ransom for the soul of a man,
and a poor one has not heard rebuke.
9 The light of the righteous rejoices,
and the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
10 Only with arrogance does one give forth strife,
and wisdom is with the counseled ones.
11 Wealth from vanity is diminished,
and the one gathering by the hand becomes great.
12 Hope deferred weakens the heart,
and desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 The one despising the word is destroyed for it,
and the one fearing the command, he will be rewarded.
14 The instruction† of the wise is a fountain of life,
to turn aside from the snares of death.
15 Good insight gives favor,
and the way of the treacherous is perpetual.
16 Every prudent one acts with knowledge,
17 A wicked messenger falls into evil,
and an envoy of faithfulness is healing.
18 Poverty and shame are to one disdaining discipline,
and the one regarding a rebuke is honored.
19 A desire coming to pass is pleasant to the soul,
and turning aside from evil is an abomination to fools.
20 The one walking with wise ones will become wise,
and the one accompanying fools will suffer evil.
21 Evil pursues the sinful ones,
and goodness will reward the righteous ones.
22 A good one leaves an inheritance for the sons of his sons,
and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for a righteous one.
23 There is much food in the fallow ground of the poor,
and it is swept away for lack of justice.
24 The one withholding his rod is hating his son,
and one loving him diligently seeks him with discipline.
25 A righteous one is eating to the satisfaction of his soul,
and the belly of the wicked will be lacking.