Proverbs 17
1 Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
Better a dry morsel, and peace therewith, than a house full of contentious sacrifices.
2 A wise servant rules over a son causing shame, And he apportions an inheritance in the midst of brothers.
A prudent servant, shall rule over a son who causeth shame, and, in the midst of brothers, shall he share the inheritance.
3 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] YHWH.
Fining-pot for silver, crucible for gold, but, he that trieth hearts, is Yahweh.
4 An evildoer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
Discord, giveth heed to the aggrieving lip, —Falsehood, giveth ear to the destroying tongue.
5 Whoever is mocking at the poor Has reproached his Maker, Whoever is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
He that mocketh the poor, hath reproached his Maker, He that maketh merry at distress, shall not be held innocent.
6 Sons’ sons [are] the crown of old men, And the glory of sons [are] their fathers.
The crown of old men, consists of children’s children, and the adornment of children, is their fathers.
7 A lip of excellence is not fitting for a fool, much less a lip of falsehood for a noble.
Unseemly in an unworthy man, is the lip of excellence, much more, in one of noble mind, the lip of falsehood.
8 A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Wherever it turns, it prospers.
A gift, in the eyes of its owner, is, a stone of beauty, whithersoever it turneth, it bringeth prosperity.
9 Whoever is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoever is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
He that hideth a transgression, seeketh love, but, he that repeateth a matter, separateth intimate friends.
10 Rebuke comes down on the intelligent More than one hundred stripes on a fool.
A reproof sinketh more deeply into an intelligent man than a hundred stripes, into a dullard!
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.
Nothing less than rebellion, doth a wicked man seek, and, a relentless messenger, shall be sent out against him.
12 The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And—not a fool in his folly.
Let a bereaved bear encounter man, rather than a dullard, with his folly!
13 Whoever is returning evil for good, Evil does not move from his house.
He that returneth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of contention [is] a letting out of waters, And leave the strife before it is meddled with.
A letting forth of water, is the beginning of strife, therefore, before it breaketh out, abandon, contention.
15 Whoever is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to YHWH.
He that justifieth the lawless, and he that condemneth the righteous, an abomination to Yahweh, are they, both.
16 Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart—there is none?
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a dullard? that he who is without sense, may acquire wisdom.
17 The friend is loving at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
At all times, doth a friend love, and, a brother for distress, must be born.
18 A man lacking heart is striking hands, He becomes a guarantor before his friend.
A man lacking sense, is one who striketh hands, giving security, before his neighbour.
19 Whoever is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoever is making his entrance high is seeking destruction.
A lover of transgression, is one who loveth strife, he that heighteneth his door, seeketh grievous harm.
20 The perverse of heart does not find good, And the [one] turned in his tongue falls into evil.
The crooked in heart, shall not find good, and, he that is perverse with his tongue, shall fall into wickedness.
21 Whoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice.
He that begetteth a dullard, it is to his own grief, neither can the father of the base, rejoice.
22 A rejoicing heart does good to the body, And a struck spirit dries the bone.
A joyful heart, worketh an excellent cure, —but, a stricken spirit, drieth up the bone.
23 The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
A bribe out of his bosom, doth a lawless man take, to pervert the ways of justice.
24 The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool—at the end of the earth.
Before the face of the discerning, is wisdom, but, the eyes of a dullard, are in the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son [is] a provocation to his father, And bitterness to her bearing him.
A vexation to his father, is the son that is a dullard, and a bitterness, to her that bare him.
26 Also, [it] is not good to fine the righteous, To strike nobles for uprightness.
Surely, to chastise the righteous, is not good, to smite the noble-minded for equity.
27 One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [is] a man of understanding.
Sparing of his words, is one who valueth knowledge, and, of a thoughtful spirit, is a man of intelligence.
28 Even a fool keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips [seems] intelligent!
Even a fool, holding his peace, is accounted, wise, —He that closeth his lips, [is thought] to have understanding.
