Proverbs 17:1-22:16

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.

³ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,^(B)
    but the Lord tests the heart.^(C)

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)

¹³ Evil will never leave the house
    of one who pays back evil^(N) for good.^(O)

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
    so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.^(P)

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent^(Q)—
    the Lord detests them both.^(R)

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)

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed^(W) spirit dries up the bones.^(X)

²³ The wicked accept bribes^(Y) in secret
    to pervert the course of justice.^(Z)

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)

18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
    and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

² Fools find no pleasure in understanding
    but delight in airing their own opinions.^(AG)

³ When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
    and with shame comes reproach.

⁴ The words of the mouth are deep waters,^(AH)
    but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

⁵ It is not good to be partial to the wicked^(AI)
    and so deprive the innocent of justice.^(AJ)

⁶ The lips of fools bring them strife,
    and their mouths invite a beating.^(AK)

⁷ The mouths of fools are their undoing,
    and their lips are a snare^(AL) to their very lives.^(AM)

⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.^(AN)

⁹ One who is slack in his work
    is brother to one who destroys.^(AO)

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;^(AP)
    the righteous run to it and are safe.^(AQ)

¹¹ The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;^(AR)
    they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

¹² Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
    but humility comes before honor.^(AS)

¹³ To answer before listening—
    that is folly and shame.^(AT)

¹⁴ The human spirit can endure in sickness,
    but a crushed spirit who can bear?^(AU)

¹⁵ The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,^(AV)
    for the ears of the wise seek it out.

¹⁶ A gift^(AW) opens the way
    and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

¹⁷ In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
    until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

¹⁸ Casting the lot settles disputes^(AX)
    and keeps strong opponents apart.

¹⁹ A brother wronged^(AY) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
    disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

²⁰ From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
    with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.^(AZ)

²¹ The tongue has the power of life and death,^(BA)
    and those who love it will eat its fruit.^(BB)

²² He who finds a wife finds what is good^(BC)
    and receives favor from the Lord.^(BD)

²³ The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

²⁴ One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.^(BE)

19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.^(BF)

² Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!^(BG)

³ A person’s own folly^(BH) leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.^(BI)

⁴ Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.^(BJ)

⁵ A false witness^(BK) will not go unpunished,^(BL)
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.^(BM)

⁶ Many curry favor with a ruler,^(BN)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.^(BO)

⁷ The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!^(BP)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.^[a](BQ)

⁸ The one who gets wisdom loves life;
    the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.^(BR)

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will perish.^(BS)

¹⁰ It is not fitting for a fool^(BT) to live in luxury—
    how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!^(BU)

¹¹ A person’s wisdom yields patience;^(BV)
    it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

¹² A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,^(BW)
    but his favor is like dew^(BX) on the grass.^(BY)

¹³ A foolish child is a father’s ruin,^(BZ)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.^(CA)

¹⁴ Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,^(CB)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.^(CC)

¹⁵ Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the shiftless go hungry.^(CD)

¹⁶ Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
    but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.^(CE)

¹⁷ Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,^(CF)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.^(CG)

¹⁸ Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
    do not be a willing party to their death.^(CH)

¹⁹ A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
    rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

²⁰ Listen to advice and accept discipline,^(CI)
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.^(CJ)

²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.^(CK)

²² What a person desires is unfailing love^[b];
    better to be poor than a liar.

²³ The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.^(CL)

²⁴ A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not even bring it back to his mouth!^(CM)

²⁵ Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
    rebuke the discerning,^(CN) and they will gain knowledge.^(CO)

²⁶ Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother^(CP)
    is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷ Stop listening to instruction, my son,^(CQ)
    and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.^(CR)

²⁹ Penalties are prepared for mockers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.^(CS)

20 Wine^(CT) is a mocker^(CU) and beer a brawler;
    whoever is led astray^(CV) by them is not wise.^(CW)

² A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;^(CX)
    those who anger him forfeit their lives.^(CY)

³ It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,
    but every fool^(CZ) is quick to quarrel.^(DA)

⁴ Sluggards^(DB) do not plow in season;
    so at harvest time they look but find nothing.^(DC)

⁵ The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,^(DD)
    but one who has insight draws them out.

⁶ Many claim to have unfailing love,
    but a faithful person who can find?^(DE)

⁷ The righteous lead blameless lives;^(DF)
    blessed are their children after them.^(DG)

⁸ When a king sits on his throne to judge,^(DH)
    he winnows out all evil with his eyes.^(DI)

⁹ Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;^(DJ)
    I am clean and without sin”?^(DK)

¹⁰ Differing weights and differing measures—
    the Lord detests them both.^(DL)

¹¹ Even small children are known by their actions,
    so is their conduct really pure^(DM) and upright?

¹² Ears that hear and eyes that see—
    the Lord has made them both.^(DN)

¹³ Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;^(DO)
    stay awake and you will have food to spare.

¹⁴ “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
    then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

¹⁵ Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
    but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶ Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge^(DP) if it is done for an outsider.^(DQ)

¹⁷ Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,^(DR)
    but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.^(DS)

¹⁸ Plans are established by seeking advice;
    so if you wage war, obtain guidance.^(DT)

¹⁹ A gossip betrays a confidence;^(DU)
    so avoid anyone who talks too much.

²⁰ If someone curses their father or mother,^(DV)
    their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.^(DW)

²¹ An inheritance claimed too soon
    will not be blessed at the end.

²² Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”^(DX)
    Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.^(DY)

²³ The Lord detests differing weights,
    and dishonest scales do not please him.^(DZ)

²⁴ A person’s steps are directed^(EA) by the Lord.^(EB)
    How then can anyone understand their own way?^(EC)

²⁵ It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
    and only later to consider one’s vows.^(ED)

²⁶ A wise king winnows out the wicked;
    he drives the threshing wheel over them.^(EE)

²⁷ The human spirit is^[c] the lamp of the Lord^(EF)
    that sheds light on one’s inmost being.^(EG)

²⁸ Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
    through love^(EH) his throne is made secure.^(EI)

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength,
    gray hair the splendor of the old.^(EJ)

³⁰ Blows and wounds scrub^(EK) away evil,
    and beatings^(EL) purge the inmost being.

21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
    that he channels toward all who please him.^(EM)

² A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.^(EN)

³ To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^(EO)

⁴ Haughty eyes^(EP) and a proud heart—
    the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

⁵ The plans of the diligent lead to profit^(EQ)
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶ A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.^[d](ER)

⁷ The violence of the wicked will drag them away,^(ES)
    for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸ The way of the guilty is devious,^(ET)
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹ Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.^(EU)

¹⁰ The wicked crave evil;
    their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹ When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
    by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.^(EV)

¹² The Righteous One^[e] takes note of the house of the wicked
    and brings the wicked to ruin.^(EW)

¹³ Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
    will also cry out^(EX) and not be answered.^(EY)

¹⁴ A gift given in secret soothes anger,
    and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.^(EZ)

¹⁵ When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers.^(FA)

¹⁶ Whoever strays from the path of prudence
    comes to rest in the company of the dead.^(FB)

¹⁷ Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
    whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.^(FC)

¹⁸ The wicked become a ransom^(FD) for the righteous,
    and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹ Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.^(FE)

²⁰ The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
    but fools gulp theirs down.

²¹ Whoever pursues righteousness and love
    finds life, prosperity^[f](FF) and honor.^(FG)

²² One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty^(FH)
    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³ Those who guard their mouths^(FI) and their tongues
    keep themselves from calamity.^(FJ)

²⁴ The proud and arrogant person^(FK)—“Mocker” is his name—
    behaves with insolent fury.

²⁵ The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,^(FL)
    because his hands refuse to work.
²⁶ All day long he craves for more,
    but the righteous^(FM) give without sparing.^(FN)

²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable^(FO)—
    how much more so when brought with evil intent!^(FP)

²⁸ A false witness^(FQ) will perish,^(FR)
    but a careful listener will testify successfully.

²⁹ The wicked put up a bold front,
    but the upright give thought to their ways.^(FS)

³⁰ There is no wisdom,^(FT) no insight, no plan
    that can succeed against the Lord.^(FU)

³¹ The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
    but victory rests with the Lord.^(FV)

22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
    to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.^(FW)

² Rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord is the Maker of them all.^(FX)

³ The prudent see danger and take refuge,^(FY)
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.^(FZ)

⁴ Humility is the fear of the Lord;
    its wages are riches and honor^(GA) and life.^(GB)

⁵ In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,^(GC)
    but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

⁶ Start^(GD) children off on the way they should go,^(GE)
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.^(GF)

⁷ The rich rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is slave to the lender.

⁸ Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,^(GG)
    and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.^(GH)

⁹ The generous will themselves be blessed,^(GI)
    for they share their food with the poor.^(GJ)

¹⁰ Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
    quarrels and insults are ended.^(GK)

¹¹ One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
    will have the king for a friend.^(GL)

¹² The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³ The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!^(GM)
    I’ll be killed in the public square!”

¹⁴ The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;^(GN)
    a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.^(GO)

¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.^(GP)

¹⁶ One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.