Correct your child
1 ① The man who loves his son makes use of the rod; later on he will be proud of him. 2The man who corrects his son will reap the benefit and be proud of him among his acquaintances. 3By instructing his son he makes his enemy envious; he will be well pleased with him in the company of his friends.
4If such a father dies it is as if he had not died, for he leaves behind him another man like himself. 5In life he had the joy of his company and he is not sorrowful when death comes.
6He leaves it to his family to take revenge on his enemies and to return gifts to his friends.
7The man who coddles his son will be constantly bandaging his wounds; at his every cry he will be troubled.
8Just as a badly broken-in horse can not be mounted, so a spoiled son becomes insolent. 9Pamper your child and later he will terrify you; play with him and he will bring you sorrow.
10Do not laugh at him lest you have to suffer and grind your teeth. 11Do not let him be independent as a child, 12but rather bruise his ribs while he is still young, lest he grow stubborn and refuse to obey.
13Be strict with your son and persevere in this, so as not to suffer because of his misconduct.
14Better a poor man healthy and fit, than a rich man tormented in body.
15Health and vigor are worth more than gold, a robust body, more than great wealth. 16No riches are preferable to physical well-being, and no joy is greater than a cheerful heart.
17Death is better than a wretched life and eternal rest preferable to lasting sickness. 18Dishes of food placed on an empty tomb are like good things offered to one who cannot eat.
19What good is a sacrifice offered to an idol? It can neither eat nor smell. So is it with the one whom the Lord has stricken; 20he sees with his eyes and groans, like a eunuch embracing a virgin and sighing.
21Do not give yourself over to sadness or torment yourself with brooding.
22Joy of heart is life to a man; gladness gives him length of days.
23Delight your soul and console your heart; chase sorrow far away, for sorrow has destroyed many and never did good to anyone.
24Jealousy and anger shorten your life; worry makes you old before the time.
25A cheerful and kindly person will have a good appetite and enjoy his food.
- Sir 30,1 Here Ben Sira touches a point on which the destiny of a people depends. Everyone complains that there are few responsible people. We experience good intentions everywhere, but where are the people who can persevere in doing good and carry out their good intentions? The major cause of a lack of maturity in willpower is found in the total lack of parental authority. A three-month-old baby knows that if he keeps crying he will force the mother to pick him up. When he is two years old, a child knows how to threaten, scream, have a tantrum, with the assurance that, in the end, his parents will give in: What can we do? The child does not want it. Ben Sira knows that only children who are subject to discipline and whose whims are not satisfied by their parents, only they will come to real freedom, because they are able to persevere in doing good. Christianity, of course, is not founded on the observance of law. Yet, though every believer may experience something of the spirit, we will have trouble reaping its fruits if we are not disciplined.
