Proverbs 17
1 Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
乾餅一張而平安共食，勝於滿屋佳餚而互相爭吵。
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
聰明的僕人必能管治任性的兒子，且可與弟兄們共分產業。
3 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
鍋煉銀，爐煉金，上主煉人心。
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
奸詐的人，愛聽胡言亂語；說謊的人，輕信是非長短。
5 He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
嘲笑窮人的是凌辱他的造主；幸災樂禍的，必不能脫免懲罰。
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
孫兒是老人的冠冕，父親是兒女的光榮。
7 Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
優雅的言詞，不適宜於愚人；虛偽的狂語，更不宜於君王。
8 A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
賄賂在饋贈者眼中，有如寶石；不論他要轉向何方，無往不利。
9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
掩飾他人的過錯，可獲得友愛；屢念舊日的過惡，則離間友誼。
10 A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
對明智人一句指責，勝過對愚昧人百次杖擊。
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
暴徒只求叛亂，但有殘酷使者，奉命前來對付。
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
寧願遇見失掉幼子的母熊，不願逢著正在發狂的愚人。
13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
誰以怨報德，災禍必不離開他的家。
14 To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
爭論的開端，如水之破堤；在激辯之前，應極加制止。
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
宣判罪人無罪，判定義人有罪：二者同為上主所憎惡。
16 Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
愚昧的人，既沒有頭腦，手執金錢買智慧，又何益之有﹖
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
朋友平時常相愛，唯在難中見兄弟。
18 A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
常為人擊掌作保，實是個無知之徒。
19 He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
好爭辯的人，實喜愛罪過；高舉門戶的，必自趨滅亡。
20 The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
誰存心欺詐，不會得幸福；誰搬弄是非，必陷於災禍。
21 A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
生糊塗孩子的，只有悲哀；糊塗人的父親，毫無樂趣。
22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
愉快的心，是良好的治療；神志憂鬱，能使筋骨枯萎。
23 A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
惡人在大衣下受賄賂，是為顛倒正義的判詞。
24 Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
精明的人，常面向智慧；愚者的眼，向地極呆望，
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
愚昧的兒子，是他父親的痛苦，是他生母的憂傷。
26 It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
科罰無辜，已屬不當；杖責君子，更屬不義。
27 A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
智者必沉默寡言，達人必心神鎮定。
28 Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
愚人不發言，亦可充作智者；若謹口慎言，亦可視為哲人。
