17 粗茶淡饭但相安无事,
    胜过佳肴满桌却勾心斗角。
精明的仆人必管辖主人的不肖子,
    并与他们一同承受家业。
鼎炼银,炉炼金,
    耶和华试炼人心。
作恶者留心听恶言,
    说谎者侧耳听坏话。
嘲笑穷人等于侮辱造物主,
    幸灾乐祸的人必难逃惩罚。
子孙是老人的华冠,
    父母是儿女的荣耀。
愚人高谈阔论不相称,
    统治者说谎更不合适。
行贿者视贿赂为法宝,
    可以使他无往不利。
饶恕过犯,促进友爱;
    重提旧恨,破坏友情。
10 责备哲士一句,
    胜过杖打愚人百下。
11 恶人一心反叛,
    残忍的使者必奉命来惩罚他。
12 宁愿遇见丢失幼崽的母熊,
    也不愿碰上做蠢事的愚人。
13 人若以恶报善,
    家里必祸患不断。
14 争端爆发如洪水决堤,
    当在爆发前将其制止。
15 放过罪人、冤枉义人,
    都为耶和华所憎恶。
16 愚人无心求智慧,
    手中有钱有何用?
17 朋友时时彼此关爱,
    手足生来患难与共。
18 无知的人才会为他人作保。
19 喜爱争斗的喜爱犯罪,
    骄傲自大的自招灭亡。
20 心术不正,难觅幸福;
    口吐谎言,陷入祸患。
21 生愚昧子带来忧伤,
    愚人之父毫无喜乐。
22 喜乐的心乃是良药,
    忧伤的灵使骨枯干。
23 恶人暗中收受贿赂,
    颠倒是非。
24 哲士追求智慧,
    愚人漫无目标。
25 愚昧的孩子令父亲忧虑,让母亲苦恼。
26 责罚义人不妥,
    杖责君子不义。
27 谨言慎行的有知识,
    温和冷静的有悟性。
28 愚人缄默可算为智慧,
    闭口不言可算为明智。

17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
    than a house full of feasting, with strife.(A)

A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
    and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

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

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
    a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Whoever mocks the poor(D) shows contempt for their Maker;(E)
    whoever gloats over disaster(F) will not go unpunished.(G)

Children’s children(H) are a crown to the aged,
    and parents are the pride of their children.

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
    how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(I)

A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
    they think success will come at every turn.(J)

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)

17 (A)Better is a dry morsel with quiet
    than a house full of feasting[a] with strife.
A servant who deals wisely will rule over (B)a son who acts shamefully
    and (C)will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
(D)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    (E)and the Lord tests hearts.
An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
    and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Whoever mocks the poor (F)insults his Maker;
    he who is (G)glad at calamity will not go (H)unpunished.
(I)Grandchildren are (J)the crown of the aged,
    and the glory of children is their fathers.
Fine speech is not (K)becoming to a fool;
    still less is (L)false speech to a prince.
(M)A bribe is like a magic[b] stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
    wherever he turns he prospers.
Whoever (N)covers an offense seeks love,
    but he who repeats a matter (O)separates close friends.
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 (P)a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet (Q)a she-bear robbed of her cubs
    (R)rather than a fool in his folly.
13 If anyone (S)returns evil for good,
    (T)evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
    so (U)quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 He who (V)justifies the wicked and he who (W)condemns the righteous
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have money in his hand (X)to buy wisdom
    when he has no sense?
17 (Y)A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for adversity.
18 One who lacks sense gives a pledge
    and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
    he who (Z)makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 (AA)A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
    and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 He who (AB)sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
    and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 (AC)A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit (AD)dries up the bones.
23 The wicked accepts (AE)a bribe in secret[c]
    to (AF)pervert the ways of justice.
24 (AG)The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 (AH)A foolish son is a grief to his father
    (AI)and bitterness to (AJ)her who bore him.
26 (AK)To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
    nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 Whoever (AL)restrains his words has knowledge,
    and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool (AM)who keeps silent is considered wise;
    when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:1 Hebrew sacrifices
  2. Proverbs 17:8 Or precious
  3. Proverbs 17:23 Hebrew a bribe from the bosom