Proverbs 17-19

New King James Version

² A wise servant will rule over ^(B)a son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

³ The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
^(C)But the Lord tests the hearts.

⁴ An evildoer gives heed to false lips;
A liar listens eagerly to a ^[b]spiteful tongue.

^5 (D)He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
^(E)He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

^6 (F)Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.

⁷ Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.

⁸ A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.

^9 (G)He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But ^(H)he who repeats a matter separates friends.

^10 (I)Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.

¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹² Let a man meet ^(J)a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³ Whoever ^(K)rewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore ^(L)stop contention before a quarrel starts.

^15 (M)He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶ Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?

^17 (N)A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

^18 (O)A man devoid of ^[c]understanding ^[d]shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes ^[e]surety for his friend.

¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife,
And ^(P)he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.

²⁰ He who has a ^[f]deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has ^(Q)a perverse tongue falls into evil.

²¹ He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.

²² A ^(R)merry heart ^[g]does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

²³ A wicked man accepts a bribe ^[h]behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.

^24 (S)Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A ^(T)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶ Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.

^27 (U)He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
^28 (V)Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

² A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his ^(W)own heart.

³ When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach.

^4 (X)The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
^(Y)The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

⁵ It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in ^(Z)judgment.

⁶ A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.
^7 (AA)A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his ^(AB)soul.
^8 (AC)The words of a ^[j]talebearer are like ^[k]tasty trifles,
And they go down into the ^[l]inmost body.

⁹ He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong ^(AD)tower;
The righteous run to it and are ^[m]safe.
¹¹ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own esteem.

^12 (AE)Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
And before honor is humility.

¹³ He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴ The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken spirit?

¹⁵ The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

^16 (AF)A man’s gift makes room for him,
And brings him before great men.

¹⁷ The first one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his neighbor comes and examines him.

¹⁸ Casting ^(AG)lots causes contentions to cease,
And keeps the mighty apart.

¹⁹ A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.

^20 (AH)A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

^21 (AI)Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

^22 (AJ)He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the Lord.

²³ The poor man uses entreaties,
But the rich answers ^(AK)roughly.

²⁴ A man who has friends ^[n]must himself be friendly,
^(AL)But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

² Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
And he sins who hastens with his feet.

³ The foolishness of a man twists his way,
And his heart frets against the Lord.

^4 (AN)Wealth makes many friends,
But the poor is separated from his friend.

⁵ A ^(AO)false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape.

⁶ Many entreat the favor of the nobility,
And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.
^7 (AP)All the brothers of the poor hate him;
How much more do his friends go ^(AQ)far from him!
He may pursue them with words, yet they ^[o]abandon him.

⁸ He who gets ^[p]wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding ^(AR)will find good.

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies shall perish.

¹⁰ Luxury is not fitting for a fool,
Much less ^(AS)for a servant to rule over princes.

^11 (AT)The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
^(AU)And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

^12 (AV)The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is ^(AW)like dew on the grass.

^13 (AX)A foolish son is the ruin of his father,
^(AY)And the contentions of a wife are a continual ^[q]dripping.

^14 (AZ)Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But ^(BA)a prudent wife is from the Lord.

^15 (BB)Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will ^(BC)suffer hunger.

^16 (BD)He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who ^[r]is careless of his ways will die.

^17 (BE)He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given.

^18 (BF)Chasten your son while there is hope,
And do not set your heart ^[s]on his destruction.

¹⁹ A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;
For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

²⁰ Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise ^(BG)in your latter days.

²¹ There are many plans in a man’s heart,
^(BH)Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

²² What is desired in a man is ^[t]kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.

^23 (BI)The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.

^24 (BJ)A lazy man buries his hand in the ^[u]bowl,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵ Strike a scoffer, and the simple ^(BK)will become wary;
^(BL)Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.

²⁶ He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother
Is ^(BM)a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

²⁷ Cease listening to instruction, my son,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A ^[v]disreputable witness scorns justice,
And ^(BN)the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
^(BO)And beatings for the backs of fools.