箴言 17
1 乾餅一張而平安共食，勝於滿屋佳餚而互相爭吵。
It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 聰明的僕人必能管治任性的兒子，且可與弟兄們共分產業。
A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 鍋煉銀，爐煉金，上主煉人心。
The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, but Yahweh refines hearts.
4 奸詐的人，愛聽胡言亂語；說謊的人，輕信是非長短。
The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 嘲笑窮人的是凌辱他的造主；幸災樂禍的，必不能脫免懲罰。
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.
6 孫兒是老人的冠冕，父親是兒女的光榮。
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged and parents bring honor to their children.
7 優雅的言詞，不適宜於愚人；虛偽的狂語，更不宜於君王。
Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool; much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.
8 賄賂在饋贈者眼中，有如寶石；不論他要轉向何方，無往不利。
A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 掩飾他人的過錯，可獲得友愛；屢念舊日的過惡，則離間友誼。
Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love, but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.
10 對明智人一句指責，勝過對愚昧人百次杖擊。
A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding than a hundred blows go into a fool.
11 暴徒只求叛亂，但有殘酷使者，奉命前來對付。
An evil person only seeks rebellion, so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 寧願遇見失掉幼子的母熊，不願逢著正在發狂的愚人。
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to meet a fool in his foolishness.
13 誰以怨報德，災禍必不離開他的家。
When someone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 爭論的開端，如水之破堤；在激辯之前，應極加制止。
The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere, so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.
15 宣判罪人無罪，判定義人有罪：二者同為上主所憎惡。
The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person— both are an abomination to Yahweh.
16 愚昧的人，既沒有頭腦，手執金錢買智慧，又何益之有﹖
Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom, when he has no ability to learn it?
17 朋友平時常相愛，唯在難中見兄弟。
A friend is loving at all times and a brother is born for times of trouble.
18 常為人擊掌作保，實是個無知之徒。
A man having no sense makes binding promises and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.
19 好爭辯的人，實喜愛罪過；高舉門戶的，必自趨滅亡。
Whoever loves conflict loves sin; the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.
20 誰存心欺詐，不會得幸福；誰搬弄是非，必陷於災禍。
A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good; the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
21 生糊塗孩子的，只有悲哀；糊塗人的父親，毫無樂趣。
Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself; and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 愉快的心，是良好的治療；神志憂鬱，能使筋骨枯萎。
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 惡人在大衣下受賄賂，是為顛倒正義的判詞。
A wicked man accepts a secret bribe to pervert the ways of justice.
24 精明的人，常面向智慧；愚者的眼，向地極呆望，
The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.
25 愚昧的兒子，是他父親的痛苦，是他生母的憂傷。
A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
26 科罰無辜，已屬不當；杖責君子，更屬不義。
Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person; neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.
27 智者必沉默寡言，達人必心神鎮定。
One who has knowledge uses few words and one with understanding is even-tempered.
28 愚人不發言，亦可充作智者；若謹口慎言，亦可視為哲人。
Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent; when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.
