< Proverbs 17 >
1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness with it, than a house full of feasting with strife.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 A servant who deals wisely shall have rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have part in the inheritance among the brothers.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but Jehovah tries the hearts.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 An evildoer gives heed to wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 He who mocks a poor man reproaches his maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Son's sons are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons are their fathers.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Excellent speech is not appropriate to a fool, much less lying lips to a prince.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who has it; wherever it turns, it prospers.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates chief friends.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 A rebuke enters deeper into him who has understanding than a hundred stripes into a fool.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion. Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 He who rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water. Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 He who justifies a wicked man, and he who condemns a righteous man, both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 He loves transgression who loves strife. He who raises high his gate seeks destruction.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 He who has a wayward heart finds no good, and he who has a perverse tongue falls into mischief.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 He who begets a fool it is to his sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 A wicked man receives a bribe out of the bosom, to pervert the ways of justice.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Wisdom is before the face of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Also to punish a righteous man is not good, nor to smite nobles for uprightness.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 He who spares his words has knowledge, and he who is of a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is considered wise. When he shuts his lips, he is prudent.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.