Proverbs 17
1 Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
A wise servant rules over a son causing shame, And he apportions an inheritance in the midst of brothers.
3 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] YHWH.
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
An evildoer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
Whoever is mocking at the poor Has reproached his Maker, Whoever is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
Sons’ sons [are] the crown of old men, And the glory of sons [are] their fathers.
7 Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
A lip of excellence is not fitting for a fool, much less a lip of falsehood for a noble.
8 A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Wherever it turns, it prospers.
9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
Whoever is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoever is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
10 A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
Rebuke comes down on the intelligent More than one hundred stripes on a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
An evil man seeks only rebellion, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And—not a fool in his folly.
13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
Whoever is returning evil for good, Evil does not move from his house.
14 To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
The beginning of contention [is] a letting out of waters, And leave the strife before it is meddled with.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
Whoever is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to YHWH.
16 Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart—there is none?
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
The friend is loving at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
A man lacking heart is striking hands, He becomes a guarantor before his friend.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
Whoever is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoever is making his entrance high is seeking destruction.
20 The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
The perverse of heart does not find good, And the [one] turned in his tongue falls into evil.
21 A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
Whoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
A rejoicing heart does good to the body, And a struck spirit dries the bone.
23 A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
24 Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool—at the end of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
A foolish son [is] a provocation to his father, And bitterness to her bearing him.
26 It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
Also, [it] is not good to fine the righteous, To strike nobles for uprightness.
27 A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [is] a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
Even a fool keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips [seems] intelligent!
