Proverbs 17
1 Better is a dry morsel with joy, than a house full of victims with strife.
Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
2 A wise servant shall rule over foolish sons, and shall divide the inheritance among the brethren.
A wise servant rules over a son causing shame, And he apportions an inheritance in the midst of brothers.
3 As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts.
A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] YHWH.
4 The evil man obeyeth an unjust tongue: and the deceitful hearkeneth to lying lips.
An evildoer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 He that despiseth the poor, reproacheth his Maker; and he that rejoiceth at another man’s ruin, shall not be unpunished.
Whoever is mocking at the poor Has reproached his Maker, Whoever is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
6 Children’s children are the crown of old men: and the glory of children are their fathers.
Sons’ sons [are] the crown of old men, And the glory of sons [are] their fathers.
7 Eloquent words do not become a fool, nor lying lips a prince.
A lip of excellence is not fitting for a fool, much less a lip of falsehood for a noble.
8 The expectation of him that expecteth, is a most acceptable jewel: whithersoever he turneth himself, he understandeth wisely.
A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Wherever it turns, it prospers.
9 He that concealeth a transgression. seeketh friendships: he that repeateth it again, separateth friends.
Whoever is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoever is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
10 A reproof availeth more with a wise man, than a hundred stripes with a fool.
Rebuke comes down on the intelligent More than one hundred stripes on a fool.
11 An evil man always seeketh quarrels: but a cruel angel shall 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 whelps, than a fool trusting in his own folly.
The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And—not a fool in his folly.
13 He that rendereth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
Whoever is returning evil for good, Evil does not move from his house.
14 The beginning of quarrels is as when one letteth out water: before he suffereth reproach he forsaketh judgment.
The beginning of contention [is] a letting out of waters, And leave the strife before it is meddled with.
15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, both are abominable before God.
Whoever is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to YHWH.
16 What doth it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom? He that maketh his house high, seeketh a downfall: and he that refuseth to learn, shall fall into evils.
Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart—there is none?
17 He that is a friend loveth at all times: and a brother is proved in distress.
The friend is loving at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A foolish man will clap hands, when he is surety for his friend.
A man lacking heart is striking hands, He becomes a guarantor before his friend.
19 He that studieth discords, loveth quarrels: and he that exalteth his door, seeketh ruin.
Whoever is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoever is making his entrance high is seeking destruction.
20 He that is of a perverse heart, shall not find good: and he that perverteth his tongue, shall fall into evil.
The perverse of heart does not find good, And the [one] turned in his tongue falls into evil.
21 A fool is born to his own disgrace: and even his father shall not rejoice in a fool.
Whoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice.
22 A joyful mind maketh age flourishing: a sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones.
A rejoicing heart does good to the body, And a struck spirit dries the bone.
23 The wicked man taketh gifts out of the bosom, that he may pervert the paths of judgment.
The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
24 Wisdom shineth in the face of the wise: the eyes of fools are in 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 is the anger of the father: and the sorrow of the mother that bore him.
A foolish son [is] a provocation to his father, And bitterness to her bearing him.
26 It is no good thing to do hurt to the just: nor to strike the prince, who judgeth right.
Also, [it] is not good to fine the righteous, To strike nobles for uprightness.
27 He that setteth bounds to his words. is knowing and wise: and the man of understanding is of a precious spirit.
One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [is] a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool, if he will hold his peace shall be counted wise: and if he close his lips, a man of understanding.
Even a fool keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips [seems] intelligent!
