Proverbs 17

Common English Bible

17 Better a dry crust with quiet
    than a house full of feasting with quarrels.
² An insightful servant rules over a disgraceful son
    and will divide an inheritance
    with the brothers.
³ A crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold,
    but the Lord tests the heart.
⁴ An evildoer pays attention to guilty lips;
    a liar listens to a destructive tongue.
⁵ Those who mock the poor insult their maker;
    those who rejoice in disaster won’t go unpunished.
⁶ Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
    and the glory of children is their parents.
⁷ Too much talking isn’t right for a fool;
    even less so false speech for an honorable person.
⁸ A bribe seems magical in the eyes of those who give it,
    granting success to all who use it.
⁹ One who seeks love conceals an offense,
    but one who repeats it divides friends.
¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper to an understanding person
    than a hundred lashes to a fool.
¹¹ Evil people seek only rebellion;
    a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
¹² Safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than fools in their folly.
¹³ Evil will never depart from the house
    of those who return evil for good.
¹⁴ The start of a quarrel is like letting out water,
    so drop the dispute before it breaks out.
¹⁵ Judging the righteous wicked and the wicked righteous—
    the Lord detests both of these.
¹⁶ Why should a fool have money
    to pay for wisdom? He has no mind.
¹⁷ Friends love all the time,
    and kinsfolk are born for times of trouble.
¹⁸ One with no sense shakes hands on a deal,
    securing a loan for a friend.
¹⁹ Those who love an offense love a quarrel;
    those who build a high doorway invite a collapse.
²⁰ Those with crooked hearts won’t prosper,
    and those with twisted tongues will fall into trouble.
²¹ Having a fool for a son brings grief;
    there’s no joy for a scoundrel’s father.
²² A joyful heart helps healing,
    but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
²³ The wicked take secret bribes
    to twist the way of justice.
²⁴ Wisdom is right in front of those with understanding,
    but the eyes of fools are off to the edges of the earth.
²⁵ A foolish son is irritating to his father
    and bitter to her who gave birth to him.
²⁶ It isn’t good to punish the righteous,
    to strike the honorable for their integrity.
²⁷ Wise are those who restrain their talking;
    people with understanding are coolheaded.
²⁸ Fools who keep quiet are deemed wise;
    those who shut their lips are smart.