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 is a dry morsel with quiet
    than a house full of feasting with strife.
A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully,
    and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    but the Lord tests the heart.
An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
    and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;
    those who are glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
    and the glory of children is their parents.
Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;
    still less is false speech to a ruler.[a]
A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of those who give it;
    wherever they turn they prosper.
One who forgives an affront fosters friendship,
    but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.
10 A rebuke strikes deeper into a discerning person
    than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 Evil people seek only rebellion,
    but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
12 Better to meet a she-bear robbed of its cubs
    than to confront a fool immersed in folly.
13 Evil will not depart from the house
    of one who returns evil for good.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water;
    so stop before the quarrel breaks out.
15 One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should fools have a price in hand
    to buy wisdom, when they have no mind to learn?
17 A friend loves at all times,
    and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.
18 It is senseless to give a pledge,
    to become surety for a neighbour.
19 One who loves transgression loves strife;
    one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.
20 The crooked of mind do not prosper,
    and the perverse of tongue fall into calamity.
21 The one who begets a fool gets trouble;
    the parent of a fool has no joy.
22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine,
    but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
23 The wicked accept a concealed bribe
    to pervert the ways of justice.
24 The discerning person looks to wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth.
25 Foolish children are a grief to their father
    and bitterness to her who bore them.
26 To impose a fine on the innocent is not right,
    or to flog the noble for their integrity.
27 One who spares words is knowledgeable;
    one who is cool in spirit has understanding.
28 Even fools who keep silent are considered wise;
    when they close their lips, they are deemed intelligent.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:7 Or a noble person

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 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.

A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

26 Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.