Proverbs 17
1 It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread than a house full of feasting with strife.
Melior est buccella sicca cum gaudio, quam domus plena victimis cum iurgio.
2 A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
Servus sapiens dominabitur filiis stultis, et inter fratres hereditatem dividet.
3 The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, but Yahweh refines hearts.
Sicut igne probatur argentum, et aurum camino: ita corda probat Dominus.
4 The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
Malus obedit linguæ iniquæ: et fallax obtemperat labiis mendacibus.
5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.
Qui despicit pauperem, exprobrat Factori eius: et qui ruina lætatur alterius, non erit impunitus.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged and parents bring honor to their children.
Corona senum filii filiorum: et gloria filiorum patres eorum.
7 Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool; much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.
Non decent stultum verba composita: nec principem labium mentiens.
8 A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
Gemma gratissima, expectatio præstolantis: quocumque se vertit, prudenter intelligit.
9 Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love, but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.
Qui celat delictum, quærit amicitias: qui altero sermone repetit, separat fœderatos.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding than a hundred blows go into a fool.
Plus proficit correptio apud prudentem, quam centum plagæ apud stultum.
11 An evil person only seeks rebellion, so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
Semper iurgia quærit malus: Angelus autem crudelis mittetur contra eum.
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to meet a fool in his foolishness.
Expedit magis ursæ occurrere raptis fœtibus, quam fatuo confidenti in stultitia sua.
13 When someone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
Qui reddit mala pro bonis, non recedet malum de domo eius.
14 The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere, so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.
Qui dimittit aquam, caput est iurgiorum: et antequam patiatur contumeliam, iudicium deserit.
15 The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person— both are an abomination to Yahweh.
Qui iustificat impium, et qui condemnat iustum, abominabilis est uterque apud Deum.
16 Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom, when he has no ability to learn it?
Quid prodest stulto habere divitias, cum sapientiam emere non possit? Qui altum facit domum suam, quærit ruinam: et qui evitat discere, incidet in mala.
17 A friend is loving at all times and a brother is born for times of trouble.
Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est: et frater in angustiis comprobatur.
18 A man having no sense makes binding promises and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.
Stultus homo plaudet manibus cum spoponderit pro amico suo.
19 Whoever loves conflict loves sin; the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.
Qui meditatur discordias, diligit rixas: et qui exaltat ostium, quærit ruinam.
20 A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good; the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
Qui perversi cordis est, non inveniet bonum: et qui vertit linguam, incidet in malum.
21 Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself; and the father of a fool has no joy.
Natus est stultus in ignominiam suam: sed nec pater in fatuo lætabitur.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Animus gaudens ætatem floridam facit: spiritus tristis exiccat ossa.
23 A wicked man accepts a secret bribe to pervert the ways of justice.
Munera de sinu impius accipit, ut pervertat semitas iudicii.
24 The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.
In facie prudentis lucet sapientia: oculi stultorum in finibus terræ.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
Ira patris, filius stultus: et dolor matris quæ genuit eum.
26 Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person; neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.
Non est bonum, damnum inferre iusto: nec percutere principem, qui recta iudicat.
27 One who has knowledge uses few words and one with understanding is even-tempered.
Qui moderatur sermones suos, doctus et prudens est: et pretiosi spiritus vir eruditus.
28 Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent; when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.
Stultus quoque si tacuerit, sapiens reputabitur: et si compresserit labia sua, intelligens.
