Proverbs 17
1 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.
Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 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.
A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 [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].
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
4 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.
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 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].
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
7 Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
8 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.
A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 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.
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
10 Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
11 [Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 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.
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
13 If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 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.
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
15 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.
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
16 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.
Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
17 Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 [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.
A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 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.
He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 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.
The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
22 Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
24 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].
Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
25 Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
27 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.
A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
28 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.
Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
