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