Font Size
Proverbs 17
Legacy Standard Bible
Proverbs 17
Legacy Standard Bible
17 (A)Better is a dry morsel and tranquility with it
Than a house full of [a]feasting with strife.
2 A slave who acts insightfully will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The (B)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But (C)Yahweh tests hearts.
4 An (D)evildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness;
[b]A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 He who mocks the (E)poor reproaches his Maker;
He who is (F)glad at disaster will not go unpunished.
6 [c](G)Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the (H)beauty of sons is their fathers.
7 (I)Excellent lips are not fitting for a [d]wicked fool,
Even less are (J)lying lips for a noble man.
8 A (K)bribe is a [e]charm in the eyes of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 He who (L)covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter (M)separates close companions.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who understands
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a (N)man meet a (O)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 He who (P)returns evil for good,
(Q)Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So (R)abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
15 He who (S)justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to (T)acquire wisdom,
When [f]he has no heart of wisdom?
17 A (U)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man lacking a heart of wisdom (V)strikes his [g]hands in pledge
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 He who (W)loves transgression loves quarreling;
He who (X)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 He who has a crooked heart (Y)finds no good,
And he who is (Z)perverted in his tongue falls into evil.
21 He who (AA)begets a fool does so to his grief,
And the father of a wicked fool is not glad.
22 A (AB)glad heart [h]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit (AC)dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man receives a (AD)bribe from the bosom
To (AE)thrust aside the paths of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of the one who understands,
But the (AF)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A (AG)foolish son is a vexation to his father
And (AH)bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
26 It is also not good to (AI)punish the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 He who (AJ)holds back his words [i]has knowledge,
And he who has a (AK)cool spirit is a man of discernment.
28 Even an ignorant fool, when he (AL)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered understanding.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:1 Lit sacrifices of strife
- Proverbs 17:4 Lit Falsehood
- Proverbs 17:6 Lit Sons’ sons
- Proverbs 17:7 One who rejects wisdom in rebellion against God
- Proverbs 17:8 Lit stone of grace
- Proverbs 17:16 Lit there is no heart
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit palms
- Proverbs 17:22 Lit causes good healing
- Proverbs 17:27 Lit knows
Proverbs 17
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 17
Holman Christian Standard Bible
17 Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife.(A)
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.
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 sons is their fathers.
7 Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.
10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.
12 Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs(K)
than a fool in his foolishness.
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.
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)
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)
27 The intelligent person restrains his words,(AB)
and one who keeps a cool head[e]
is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent,
discerning when he seals his lips.(AC)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:4 Lit to lips of iniquity
- Proverbs 17:11 Or a merciless angel
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit sense shakes hands
- Proverbs 17:26 Or noble unfairly
- Proverbs 17:27 Lit spirit
Proverbs 17
New International Version
Proverbs 17
New International Version
17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.(A)
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor(D) shows contempt for their Maker;(E)
whoever gloats over disaster(F) will not go unpunished.(G)
6 Children’s children(H) are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(I)
8 A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.(J)
9 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)
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.(P)
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)
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)
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.