Living Wisely

¹A wise son or daughter desires a father’s discipline,

but the know-it-all never listens to correction.

²The words of the wise are kind and easy to swallow,

but the unbeliever just wants to pick a fight and argue.

³Guard your words and you’ll guard your life,

but if you don’t control your tongue,

it will ruin everything.

⁴The slacker wants it all and ends up with nothing,

but the hard worker ends up with all that he longed for.

⁵Lovers of God hate what is phony and false,

but the wicked are full of shame and behave shamefully.

⁶Righteousness is like a shield of protection,

guarding those who keep their integrity,

but sin is the downfall of the wicked.

⁷One pretends to be rich but is poor.

Another pretends to be poor but is quite rich.

⁸The self-assurance of the rich is their money,[#13:8 The Aramaic is “The salvation of the soul is a man’s true wealth.”]

but people don’t kidnap and extort the poor!

⁹The virtues of God’s lovers shine brightly in the darkness,

but the flickering lamp of the ungodly will be extinguished.

¹⁰Wisdom opens your heart to receive wise counsel,

but pride closes your ears to advice

and gives birth only to quarrels and strife.

¹¹Wealth quickly gained is quickly wasted —[#13:11 Or “Wealth gained by fraud will dwindle.”]

easy come, easy go!

But if you gradually gain wealth,

you will watch it grow.

¹²When hope’s dream seems to drag on and on,

the delay can be depressing.

But when at last your dream comes true,

life’s sweetness will satisfy your soul.

¹³Despise the word, will you?

Then you’ll pay the price and it won’t be pretty!

But the one who honors the Father’s holy instructions

will be rewarded.

¹⁴When the lovers of God teach you truth,

a fountain of life opens up within you,

and their wise instruction will deliver you from the ways of death.

¹⁵Everyone admires a wise, sensible person,

but the treacherous walk on the path of ruin.

¹⁶Everything a wise and shrewd man does

comes from a source of revelation-knowledge,

but the behavior of a fool puts foolishness on parade!

¹⁷An undependable messenger causes a lot of trouble,

but the trustworthy and wise messengers

release healing wherever they go.

¹⁸Poverty and disgrace come to the one

who refuses to hear criticism.

But the one who is easy to correct is on the path of honor.

¹⁹When God fulfills your longings,

sweetness fills your soul.

But the wicked refuse to turn from darkness

to see their desires come to pass .

²⁰If you want to grow in wisdom,

spend time with the wise.

Walk with the wicked

and you’ll eventually become just like them.

²¹Calamity chases the sin-chaser,

but prosperity pursues the God-lover.

²²The benevolent man leaves an inheritance

that endures to his children’s children,

but the wealth of the wicked is treasured up for the righteous.

²³The lovers of God will live a long life and get to enjoy their wealth,

but the ungodly will suddenly perish.

²⁴If you withhold correction and punishment from your children,[#13:24 Or “spare the rod.” Corporal punishment was common in premodern societies.]

you demonstrate a lack of true love.

So prove your love and be prompt to punish them.

²⁵The lovers of God will have more than enough,

but the wicked will always lack what they crave.