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Proverbs 17
Revised Standard Version
Proverbs 17
Revised Standard Version
17 Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A slave who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and the Lord tries hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor insults his Maker;
he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of sons is their fathers.
7 Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a prince.
8 A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of him who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9 He who forgives an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter alienates a friend.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs,
rather than a fool in his folly.
13 If a man returns evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water;
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have a price in his hand to buy wisdom,
when he has no mind?
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man without sense gives a pledge,
and becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 A man of crooked mind does not prosper,
and one with a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
21 A stupid son is a grief to a father;
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe from the bosom
to pervert the ways of justice.
24 A man of understanding sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father
and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good;
to flog noble men is wrong.
27 He who restrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Proverbs 17
New International Version
Proverbs 17
New International Version
17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.(A)
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor(D) shows contempt for their Maker;(E)
whoever gloats over disaster(F) will not go unpunished.(G)
6 Children’s children(H) are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(I)
8 A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.(J)
9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(K)
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(L)
10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
the messenger of death will be sent against them.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool bent on folly.(M)
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.(P)
16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?(S)
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(T)
18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbor.(U)
19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(V)
24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes(AA) wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(AB)
26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(AC)
surely to flog honest officials is not right.
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(AD)
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(AE)
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.(AF)
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.