21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ubut bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
13 As ra father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion pto those who fear him.
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as ta father the son in whom he delights.
A Father’s Wise Instruction
1 fHear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may ggain1 insight,
2 for I give you good hprecepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
itender, jthe only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he ktaught me and said to me,
l“Let your heart hold fast my words;
mkeep my commandments, and live.
A Father’s Wise Instruction
1 fHear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
11 For you know how, flike a father with his children,
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
f“My son, gdo not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For hthe Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. iGod is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, jin which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to kthe Father of spirits land live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, mthat we may share his holiness. 11 nFor the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields othe peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
