Proverbs 17
1 Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of 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 wise servant rules over a son causing shame, And he apportions an inheritance in the midst of 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 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] YHWH.
[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 is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving 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 Whoever is mocking at the poor Has reproached his Maker, Whoever is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
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 Sons’ 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 A lip of excellence is not fitting for a fool, much less a lip of falsehood for a noble.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, 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 Whoever is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoever is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
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 Rebuke comes down on the intelligent More than one hundred stripes on 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, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And—not 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 Whoever is returning evil for good, Evil does not move 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 contention [is] a letting out of waters, And leave the strife before it is meddled with.
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 Whoever is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to YHWH.
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] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart—there is none?
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 The friend is loving 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 lacking heart is striking hands, He becomes a guarantor before his friend.
[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 Whoever is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoever is making his entrance high is seeking 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 The perverse of heart does not find good, And the [one] turned in his tongue falls into evil.
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 Whoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 A rejoicing heart does good to the body, And a struck spirit dries the bone.
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 The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool—at the end 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 provocation to his father, And bitterness to her bearing him.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Also, [it] is not good to fine the righteous, To strike 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 One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [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 keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips [seems] intelligent!
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.
