Regarding Children

¹Whoever loves his son will frequently discipline him

so that he may rejoice in the way his son turns out.

²Whoever disciplines his son will benefit from him

and boast about him to people he knows.

³Whoever educates his son will make his enemy jealous

and glory in him among his friends.

⁴When the father dies, it will be as if he were not dead;

for he has left behind a man like himself.

⁵While the father lived, he rejoiced at the sight of his son;

and when he died, he had no regrets.

⁶He has left behind an avenger against his enemies

and one to repay kindness to his friends.

⁷Whoever spoils his son will bandage his every wound

and be heartbroken at every cry.

⁸A horse that is not broken becomes stubborn,

and a child left to himself becomes headstrong.

⁹Pamper a child, and he will be a terror for you;

join in with his games, and he will cause you grief.

¹⁰Do not laugh with him, or you will be sorry

and gnash your teeth in anguish in the end.

¹¹Give him no freedom while he is young,

and don’t overlook his mistakes.

¹²Break him in while he is young,

and punish him while he is a child.

Otherwise he will grow stubborn and disobey you,

and your heart will grieve over him.

¹³Discipline your son and be hard on him

so that he will not offend you by acting shamelessly.

Health and Cheerfulness

¹⁴Better to be a poor person who is healthy and physically fit

than a rich person who is sick.

¹⁵Health and strength are better than gold,

and a sound body is better than immense riches.

¹⁶No treasure is greater than a healthy body,

and no pleasure is greater than a joyful heart.

¹⁷Death is better than a miserable life,

and eternal sleep than continual sickness.

¹⁸Good things lavished upon someone who will not eat

are like offerings of food placed upon a grave.

¹⁹What good does an offering do for an idol?

For the idol can neither eat nor smell.

It is the same for a person who is being punished by the Lord.

²⁰He sees the food and groans

like a eunuch groans when embracing a young woman.

²¹Don’t let yourself become sad,

and don’t intentionally make yourself upset.

²²A joyful heart is life itself,

and rejoicing lengthens a person’s life.

²³Indulge yourself and take it easy;

drive sadness far away from you.

For sadness has destroyed many,

and there is no benefit from it.

²⁴Envy and anger shorten a person’s life,

and anxiety brings on premature old age.

²⁵Those who are cheerful while feasting

will benefit from their food.