Proverbs 17-21

Christian Standard Bible

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

² A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.

³ A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,^(B)
and the Lord is the tester of hearts.^(C)

⁴ A wicked person listens to malicious talk;^[a]
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

⁵ The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,^(D)
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.^(E)

⁶ Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of children is their fathers.

⁷ Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.

⁸ A bribe^(F) seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.^(G)

⁹ Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,^(H)
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.^(I)

¹⁰ A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹ An evil person desires only rebellion;
a cruel messenger^[b](J) will be sent against him.

¹² Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs^(K)
than a fool in his foolishness.

¹³ If anyone returns evil for good,^(L)
evil will never depart from his house.^(M)

¹⁴ To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.^(N)

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just^(O)—
both are detestable to the Lord.

¹⁶ Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?^(P)

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,^(Q)
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

¹⁸ One without sense enters an agreement^[c]
and puts up security for his friend.^(R)

¹⁹ One who loves to offend loves strife;^(S)
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

²⁰ One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.^(T)

²¹ A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.^(U)

²² A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.^(V)

²³ A wicked person secretly takes a bribe^(W)
to subvert the course of justice.^(X)

²⁴ Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes^(Y) roam to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.^(Z)

²⁶ It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.^[d](AA)

²⁷ The one who has knowledge restrains his words,^(AB)
and one who keeps a cool head^[e]
is a person of understanding.

²⁸ Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—
discerning, when he seals his lips.^(AC)

18 One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires;
he rebels against all sound wisdom.

² A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only wants to show off his opinions.^[f](AD)

³ When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
and along with dishonor, derision.

⁴ The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters,^(AE)
a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.^[g]

⁵ It is not good to show partiality to the guilty,^(AF)
denying an innocent person justice.^(AG)

⁶ A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.^(AH)

⁷ A fool’s mouth is his devastation,
and his lips are a trap for his life.^(AI)

⁸ A gossip’s words are like choice food
that goes down to one’s innermost being.^[h](AJ)

⁹ The one who is lazy in his work
is brother to a vandal.^[i](AK)

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong tower;^(AL)
the righteous run to it and are protected.^[j](AM)

¹¹ The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;
in his imagination it is like a high wall.^(AN)

¹² Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud,^(AO)
but humility comes before honor.^(AP)

¹³ The one who gives an answer before he listens—
this is foolishness and disgrace for him.^(AQ)

¹⁴ A person’s spirit can endure sickness,
but who can survive a broken spirit?^(AR)

¹⁵ The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks it.^(AS)

¹⁶ A person’s gift opens doors^[k] for him
and brings him before the great.^(AT)

¹⁷ The first to state his case seems right
until another comes and cross-examines him.^(AU)

¹⁸ Casting the lot^(AV) ends quarrels
and separates powerful opponents.

¹⁹ An offended brother is harder to reach^[l]
than a fortified city,
and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.

²⁰ From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is filled with the product of his lips.^(AW)

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

²² A man who finds a wife finds a good thing^(AY)
and obtains favor from the Lord.^(AZ)

²³ The poor person pleads,^(BA)
but the rich one answers roughly.^(BB)

²⁴ One with many friends may be harmed,^[m]
but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.^(BC)

19 Better a poor person who lives with integrity^(BD)
than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

² Even zeal is not good without knowledge,^(BE)
and the one who acts hastily^[n] sins.^(BF)

³ A person’s own foolishness leads him astray,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.^(BG)

⁴ Wealth attracts many friends,^(BH)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished,^(BI)
and one who utters lies will not escape.^(BJ)

⁶ Many seek a ruler’s favor,^(BK)
and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.^(BL)

⁷ All the brothers of a poor person hate him;^(BM)
how much more do his friends
keep their distance from him!
He may pursue them with words,^(BN)
but they are not there.^[o]

⁸ The one who acquires good sense^[p] loves himself;
one who safeguards understanding finds success.^(BO)

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
and one who utters lies perishes.^(BP)

¹⁰ Luxury is not appropriate for a fool^(BQ)—
how much less for a slave to rule over princes!^(BR)

¹¹ A person’s insight gives him patience,^(BS)
and his virtue is to overlook an offense.^(BT)

¹² A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion,^(BU)
but his favor is like dew on the grass.^(BV)

¹³ A foolish son is his father’s ruin,^(BW)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.^(BX)

¹⁴ A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,^(BY)
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

¹⁵ Laziness induces deep sleep,
and a lazy person will go hungry.^(BZ)

¹⁶ The one who keeps commands preserves himself;^(CA)
one who disregards^[q] his ways will die.^(CB)

¹⁷ Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord,^(CC)
and he will give a reward to the lender.^[r](CD)

¹⁸ Discipline your son while there is hope;
don’t set your heart on being the cause of his death.^[s](CE)

¹⁹ A person with intense anger bears the penalty;
if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again.^(CF)

²⁰ Listen to counsel and receive instruction
so that you may be wise later in life.^[t](CG)

²¹ Many plans are in a person’s heart,
but the Lord’s decree will prevail.^(CH)

²² What is desirable in a person is his fidelity;
better to be a poor person than a liar.^(CI)

²³ The fear of the Lord leads to life;
one will sleep at night^[u] without danger.^(CJ)

²⁴ The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth!^(CK)

²⁵ Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson;^(CL)
rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.^(CM)

²⁶ The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother
is a disgraceful and shameful son.

²⁷ If you stop listening to correction, my son,
you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A worthless witness mocks justice,
and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.^(CN)

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

20 Wine is a mocker,^(CP) beer is a brawler;
whoever goes astray^[v] because of them is not wise.

² A king’s terrible wrath is like the roaring of a lion;
anyone who provokes him endangers himself.^(CQ)

³ Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute,^(CR)
but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.^(CS)

⁴ The slacker does not plow during planting season;^[w]
at harvest time he looks,^[x] and there is nothing.^(CT)

⁵ Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water;^(CU)
but a person of understanding draws it out.

⁶ Many a person proclaims his own loyalty,
but who can find a trustworthy person?^(CV)

⁷ A righteous person acts with integrity;^(CW)
his children who come after him will be happy.^(CX)

⁸ A king sitting on a throne to judge
separates out all evil with his eyes.^(CY)

⁹ Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;
I am cleansed from my sin”?^(CZ)

¹⁰ Differing weights and varying measures^[y]—
both are detestable to the Lord.^(DA)

¹¹ Even a young man is known by his actions—
by whether his behavior is pure and upright.^(DB)

¹² The hearing ear and the seeing eye—
the Lord made them both.^(DC)

¹³ Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor;
open your eyes, and you’ll have enough to eat.^(DD)

¹⁴ “It’s worthless, it’s worthless!” the buyer says,
but after he is on his way, he gloats.

¹⁵ There is gold and a multitude of jewels,
but knowledgeable lips are a rare treasure.^(DE)

¹⁶ Take his garment,
for he has put up security for a stranger;
get collateral if it is for foreigners.^(DF)

¹⁷ Food gained by fraud is sweet to a person,^(DG)
but afterward his mouth is full of gravel.^(DH)

¹⁸ Finalize plans with counsel,^(DI)
and wage war with sound guidance.^(DJ)

¹⁹ The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;^(DK)
avoid someone with a big mouth.^(DL)

²⁰ Whoever curses his father or mother^(DM)—
his lamp will go out in deep darkness.^(DN)

²¹ An inheritance gained prematurely
will not be blessed ultimately.^(DO)

²² Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” ^(DP)
Wait on the Lord,^(DQ) and he will rescue you.^(DR)

²³ Differing weights^[z] are detestable to the Lord,^(DS)
and dishonest scales^(DT) are unfair.

²⁴ Even a courageous person’s steps are determined by the Lord,^(DU)
so how can anyone understand his own way?

²⁵ It is a trap for anyone to dedicate something rashly
and later to reconsider his vows.^(DV)

²⁶ A wise king separates out the wicked^(DW)
and drives the threshing wheel^(DX) over them.

²⁷ The Lord’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life,^[aa]
searching the innermost parts.^[ab](DY)

²⁸ Loyalty and faithfulness guard a king;
through loyalty he maintains his throne.

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

³⁰ Lashes and wounds purge away evil,^(EA)
and beatings cleanse the innermost parts.^[ac]

21 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand:
He directs it wherever he chooses.^(EB)

² All a person’s ways seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs hearts.^(EC)

³ Doing what is righteous and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^(ED)

⁴ The lamp that guides the wicked—
haughty eyes and an arrogant heart^(EE)—is sin.

⁵ The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.^(EF)

⁶ Making a fortune through a lying tongue
is a vanishing mist,^[ad] a pursuit of death.^[ae][af](EG)

⁷ The violence of the wicked sweeps them away
because they refuse to act justly.

⁸ A guilty one’s conduct is crooked,^(EH)
but the behavior of the innocent is upright.^(EI)

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

¹⁰ A wicked person desires evil;
he has no consideration^[ag] for his neighbor.^(EK)

¹¹ When a mocker is punished,
the inexperienced become wiser;
when one teaches a wise man,
he acquires knowledge.^(EL)

¹² The Righteous One^[ah] considers the house of the wicked;
he brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³ The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.^(EM)

¹⁴ A secret gift soothes anger,
and a covert bribe, fierce rage.^(EN)

¹⁵ Justice executed is a joy to the righteous
but a terror to evildoers.^(EO)

¹⁶ The person who strays from the way of prudence
will come to rest in the assembly of the departed spirits.^(EP)

¹⁷ The one who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will not get rich.^(EQ)

¹⁸ The wicked are a ransom for the righteous,
and the treacherous, for^[ai] the upright.^(ER)

¹⁹ Better to live in a wilderness
than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.^(ES)

²⁰ Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person,
but a fool consumes them.^[aj](ET)

²¹ The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love
will find life, righteousness, and honor.^(EU)

²² A wise person went up against a city of warriors
and brought down its secure fortress.^(EV)

²³ The one who guards his mouth and tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.^(EW)

²⁴ The arrogant and proud person, named “Mocker,”
acts with excessive arrogance.^(EX)

²⁵ A slacker’s craving will kill him
because his hands refuse to work.^(EY)
26 He is filled with craving^[ak] all day long,
but the righteous give and don’t hold back.^(EZ)

²⁷ The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable—
how much more so
when he brings it with ulterior motives!^(FA)

²⁸ A lying witness will perish,^(FB)
but the one who listens will speak successfully.

²⁹ A wicked person puts on a bold face,^(FC)
but the upright one considers his way.

³⁰ No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel
will prevail against the Lord.^(FD)

³¹ A horse is prepared for the day of battle,^(FE)
but victory comes from the Lord.^(FF)