15 He who (A)justifies the wicked and he who (B)condemns the righteous
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have money in his hand (C)to buy wisdom
    when he has no sense?
17 (D)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 (E)makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 (F)A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
    and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 He who (G)sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
    and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 (H)A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit (I)dries up the bones.
23 The wicked accepts (J)a bribe in secret[a]
    to (K)pervert the ways of justice.
24 (L)The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 (M)A foolish son is a grief to his father
    (N)and bitterness to (O)her who bore him.
26 (P)To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
    nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 Whoever (Q)restrains his words has knowledge,
    and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:23 Hebrew a bribe from the bosom

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent(A)
    the Lord detests them both.(B)

16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
    when they are not able to understand it?(C)

17 A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(D)

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

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.(F)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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