Proverbs 17
17
1Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife. # Pr 15:17; 21:9,19; 25:24
2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.
3A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, # Pr 27:21
and the Lord is the tester of hearts. # 1Ch 29:17; Ps 26:2; Pr 16:2; 21:2; Is 48:10; Jr 17:10; Mal 3:3
4A wicked person listens to malicious talk; # Lit to lips of iniquity
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, # Pr 14:31; 21:13
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished. # Jb 31:29; Pr 24:17; Lm 1:21-22; Ezk 25:6-7; 35:15; Ob 12
6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of sons is their fathers.
7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.
8A bribe # Ex 23:8; Is 1:23; Am 5:12 seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds. # Pr 18:16; 19:6; 21:14
9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, # Pr 10:12; Jms 5:20; 1Pt 4:8
but whoever gossips about it separates friends. # Lv 19:16; Pr 11:13; 16:28
10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.
11An evil man seeks only rebellion;
a cruel messenger # Or a merciless angel #Ps 78:49 will be sent against him.
12Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs # 2Sm 17:8; Hs 13:8
than a fool in his foolishness.
13If anyone returns evil for good, # Ps 35:12; 109:5
evil will never depart from his house. # 2Sm 12:10
14To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out. # Pr 20:3; 25:8
15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just # Ex 23:7; Pr 17:26; 18:5; 24:23-24; Is 5:23 —
both are detestable to the Lord.
16Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom? # Pr 4:5,7; 18:15; 23:23
17A friend loves at all times, # Ru 1:16; Pr 18:24; 27:10
and a brother is born for a difficult time.
18One without sense enters an agreement # Lit sense shakes hands
and puts up security for his friend. # Pr 6:1-5; 11:15; 22:26
19One who loves to offend loves strife; # Pr 29:22
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.
20One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin. # Jr 23:36
21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy. # Pr 10:1; 17:25; 19:13; 23:24-25
22A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones. # Ps 22:15; Pr 14:30; 15:13; 18:14
23A wicked man secretly takes a bribe # Pr 17:8
to subvert the course of justice. # Dt 16:19; Ps 15:5; Pr 18:5; Mc 3:11; 7:3
24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes # Ec 2:14 roam to the ends of the earth.
25A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him. # Pr 10:1; 17:21; 19:13
26It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty. # Or noble unfairly # Pr 17:15; 18:5; 24:23-24
27The intelligent person restrains his words, # Pr 10:19; Jms 1:19; 3:2
and one who keeps a cool head # Lit spirit
is a man of understanding.
28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent,
discerning when he seals his lips. # Jb 13:5; Pr 10:19
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 17
17
1It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace and quiet
than to eat a big dinner in a house full of fighting.
2A wise servant will rule over a shameful child.
He will be given part of the property as if he were a family member.
3Fire tests silver, and heat tests gold.
But the Lord tests our hearts.
4Evil people listen to lies.
Lying people listen to evil.
5Anyone who laughs at those who are poor makes fun of their Maker.
Anyone who is happy when others suffer will be punished.
6Grandchildren are like a crown to older people.
And children are proud of their parents.
7Fancy words don’t belong in the mouths of ungodly fools.
And lies certainly don’t belong in the mouths of rulers!
8Those who give money think it will buy them favors.
They think that no matter where they turn, they will succeed.
9Whoever wants to show love forgives a wrong.
But those who talk about it separate close friends.
10A person who understands what is right learns more from just a warning
than a foolish person learns from 100 strokes with a whip.
11An evil person tries to keep others from obeying God.
The messenger of death will be sent against them.
12It is better to meet a bear whose cubs have been stolen
than to meet a foolish person who is acting foolishly.
13Evil will never leave the house
of anyone who pays back evil for good.
14Starting to argue is like making a crack in a dam.
So drop the matter before a fight breaks out.
15The Lord hates two things.
He hates it when the guilty are set free.
He also hates it when those who aren’t guilty are punished.
16Why should a foolish person try to buy wisdom?
They are not even able to understand it.
17A friend loves at all times.
They are there to help when trouble comes.
18A person who has no sense agrees to pay what other people owe.
It isn’t wise to promise to pay other people’s bills.
19The one who loves to argue loves to sin.
The one who builds a high gate is just asking to be destroyed.
20If your heart is twisted, you won’t succeed.
If your tongue tells lies, you will get into trouble.
21It is sad to have a foolish child.
The parents of a godless fool have no joy.
22A cheerful heart makes you healthy.
But a broken spirit dries you up.
23Anyone who does wrong accepts favors in secret.
Then they turn what is right into what is wrong.
24Anyone who understands what is right keeps wisdom in view.
But the eyes of a foolish person look everywhere else.
25A foolish child makes his father sad
and his mother sorry.
26It isn’t good to fine those who aren’t guilty.
So it certainly isn’t good to whip officials just because they are honest.
27Anyone who has knowledge controls their words.
Anyone who has understanding is not easily upset.
28We think even foolish people are wise if they keep silent.
We think they understand what is right if they control their tongues.
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