A Father’s Discipline

1A son is wise by the discipline of his father,

and a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

2From the fruit of the mouth a man eats good things,

and the soul of the treacherous, violence.

3One guarding his mouth is keeping his soul;

one opening his lips, destruction is unto him.

4The soul of a sluggish one is desiring, and has nothing;

and the soul of the diligent ones is made fat.

5A righteous one hates a word of falsehood,

and a wicked one causes stench and shame.

6Righteousness guards the one of integrity in the way,

and wickedness overthrows the sinner.

7There is one making himself rich and having nothing at all,

one making himself poor and having abundant wealth.

8His riches are the ransom for the soul of a man,

and a poor one has not heard rebuke.

9The light of the righteous rejoices,

and the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

10Only with arrogance does one give forth strife,

and wisdom is with the counseled ones.

11Wealth from vanity is diminished,

and the one gathering by the hand becomes great.

12Hope deferred weakens the heart,

and desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

13The one despising the word is destroyed for it,

and the one fearing the command, he will be rewarded.

14The instruction† of the wise is a fountain of life,

to turn aside from the snares of death.

15Good insight gives favor,

and the way of the treacherous is perpetual.

16Every prudent one acts with knowledge,

and a fool spreads out folly.

17A wicked messenger falls into evil,

and an envoy of faithfulness is healing.

18Poverty and shame are to one disdaining discipline,

and the one regarding a rebuke is honored.

19A desire coming to pass is pleasant to the soul,

and turning aside from evil is an abomination to fools.

20The one walking with wise ones will become wise,

and the one accompanying fools will suffer evil.

21Evil pursues the sinful ones,

and goodness will reward the righteous ones.

22A good one leaves an inheritance for the sons of his sons,

and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for a righteous one.

23There is much food in the fallow ground of the poor,

and it is swept away for lack of justice.

24The one withholding his rod is hating his son,

and one loving him diligently seeks him with discipline.

25A righteous one is eating to the satisfaction of his soul,

and the belly of the wicked will be lacking.