Proverbs 13 · The Lantern

A Father’s Discipline

A wise son — a father’s discipline; but a scoffer does not hear a rebuke.

From the fruit of a man’s mouth he eats good, but the soul of the treacherous is violence.

One who guards his mouth keeps his soul; one who opens wide his lips — ruin is his.

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.

A righteous man hates a word of falsehood, but a wicked man acts foully and brings humiliation.

Righteousness guards the one blameless of way, but wickedness overturns the sinner.

There is one who pretends to be rich and has nothing; one who pretends to be poor and has great wealth.

It is simply not to be credited that holy Scripture is concerned to advise us on these riches which the proud get such swollen heads about. I mean these visible, earthly riches, of course, as though we should either think they are very important or fear not to have them.

And in these allusions and inconveniences all that are at all weak are sure to be entangled, as while they are even doubtful of their own salvation, and themselves stand in need of the teaching and instruction of others, they are incited by the devil's tricks to convert and guide others, and as, even if they succeed in gaining any advantage from the conversion of some, they was…

"There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing," etc. He seemed rich to himself who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day; but because he did not have God, he found in the end that nothing of what he had possessed existed.

The ransom of a man’s soul is his riches, but a poor man does not hear a rebuke.

Just as the foot is the measure of the sandal, so the physical needs of each person are the measure of what he should possess. Whatever is excessive—the things they call adornments, the trappings of the rich—are not adornments but a burden for the body.

A man's riches ought to avail to the ransom of his soul, not to its destruction. And a treasure is a ransom, if a man use it well; on the other hand it is a snare, if a man know not how to use it. What is a man's money to him but a provision for his journey? Much is a burthen, a little is useful.

As Solomon says, "A man's own wealth is the redemption of his soul." This might be temporal wealth which one distributes and gives to the poor so that one's righteousness may endure forever, or it might be spiritual wealth in the form of the righteousness that one has attained by taking pity on the poor or by doing other good things.

The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will go out.

By insolence comes only strife, but with those who take counsel is wisdom.

Wealth from a breath will dwindle, but one who gathers by hand will increase.

Hope drawn out makes the heart sick, but a desire come is a tree of life.

One who despises a word will be ruined by it, but one who fears a commandment will be repaid.

The instruction of a wise man is a fountain of life, to turn from the snares of death.

Good sense gives grace, but the way of the treacherous is hard.

Every shrewd man acts with knowledge, but a fool spreads out folly.

A wicked messenger falls into evil, but a faithful envoy is healing.

Poverty and dishonor to one who lets go of discipline, but one who keeps a rebuke will be honored.

A desire come is sweet to the soul, but turning from evil is an abomination to fools.

Walk with the wise and be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer evil.

Evil pursues sinners, but he repays the righteous with good.

A good man gives an inheritance to the sons of sons, but the wealth of a sinner is stored for the righteous.

Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but there is what is swept away for lack of judgment.

One who withholds his rod hates his son, but one who loves him seeks him early with discipline.

You fathers, educate your children in the Lord, bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and teach them such trades as are agreeable and suitable to the Lord, lest they by such opportunity become extravagant and continue without punishment from their parents, and so become slack before their time and go astray from that which is good.

"He that spares the rod hates his son." For, give us a person who with right faith and true understanding can say with all the energy of his heart, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" For such a person there is no need of the terror of hell, to say nothing of temporal punishments or imperial laws, seeing that with him it is so…

He who spares the rod hates his son, etc. For both a good father teaches his son, and a catholic teacher instructs his disciple, lest he deflects to iniquity, solicitously.

A righteous man eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked will lack.

Proverbs13

A Father’s Discipline