18 A person lacking in [a]sense (A)shakes hands
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 One who (B)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who (C)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked [b]mind (D)finds nothing good,
And one who is [c](E)corrupted in his language falls into evil.
21 He who (F)fathers a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A (G)joyful heart [d]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit (H)dries up the bones.
23 A wicked person accepts a (I)bribe [e]from an inside pocket
To (J)pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the (K)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A (L)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And (M)bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
26 It is also not good to (N)fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 One who (O)withholds his words [f]has knowledge,
And one who has a (P)cool spirit is a person of understanding.
28 Even a fool, when he (Q)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:18 Lit heart
  2. Proverbs 17:20 Lit heart
  3. Proverbs 17:20 Lit altered in his tongue
  4. Proverbs 17:22 Lit causes good healing
  5. Proverbs 17:23 Lit a fold in a robe; i.e., secretly
  6. Proverbs 17:27 Lit knows

18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
    and puts up security for a neighbor.(A)

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.(B)

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed(C) spirit dries up the bones.(D)

23 The wicked accept bribes(E) in secret
    to pervert the course of justice.(F)

24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
    but a fool’s eyes(G) wander to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
    and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(H)

26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(I)
    surely to flog honest officials is not right.

27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(J)
    and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(K)

28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.(L)

Read full chapter