Proverbs 17
17
1Better a dry crust with quiet
than a house full of feasting with quarrels.
2An insightful servant rules over a disgraceful son
and will divide an inheritance
with the brothers.
3A crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold,
but the LORD tests the heart.
4An evildoer pays attention to guilty lips;
a liar listens to a destructive tongue.
5Those who mock the poor insult their maker;
those who rejoice in disaster won’t go unpunished.
6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the glory of children is their parents.
7Too much talking isn’t right for a fool;
even less so false speech for an honorable person.
8A bribe seems magical in the eyes of those who give it,
granting success to all who use it.
9One who seeks love conceals an offense,
but one who repeats it divides friends.
10A rebuke goes deeper to an understanding person
than a hundred lashes to a fool.
11Evil people seek only rebellion;
a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
12Safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than fools in their folly.
13Evil will never depart from the house
of those who return evil for good.
14The start of a quarrel is like letting out water,
so drop the dispute before it breaks out.
15Judging the righteous wicked and the wicked righteous—
the LORD detests both of these.
16Why should a fool have money
to pay for wisdom? He has no mind.
17Friends love all the time,
and kinsfolk are born for times of trouble.
18One with no sense shakes hands on a deal,
securing a loan for a friend.
19Those who love an offense love a quarrel;
those who build a high doorway invite a collapse.
20Those with crooked hearts won’t prosper,
and those with twisted tongues will fall into trouble.
21Having a fool for a son brings grief;
there’s no joy for a scoundrel’s father.
22A joyful heart helps healing,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23The wicked take secret bribes
to twist the way of justice.
24Wisdom is right in front of those with understanding,
but the eyes of fools are off to the edges of the earth.
25A foolish son is irritating to his father
and bitter to her who gave birth to him.
26It isn’t good to punish the righteous,
to strike the honorable for their integrity.
27Wise are those who restrain their talking;
people with understanding are coolheaded.
28Fools who keep quiet are deemed wise;
those who shut their lips are smart.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 17
17
1Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.
2A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
3The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.
4A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;
whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
6Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
7Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool –
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
8A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.
9Whoever would foster love covers over an offence,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
10A rebuke impresses a discerning person
more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
the messenger of death will be sent against them.
12Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool bent on folly.
13Evil will never leave the house
of one who pays back evil for good.
14Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent –
the Lord detests them both.
16Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?
17A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
18One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbour.
19Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
20One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
21To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.
22A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23The wicked accept bribes in secret
to pervert the course of justice.
24A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.
26If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,
surely to flog honest officials is not right.
27The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
28Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.
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