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
New Living Translation
17 Better a dry crust eaten in peace
than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.
2 A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance of the master’s children.
3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.
4 Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;
liars pay close attention to slander.
5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;
those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged;
parents[a] are the pride of their children.
7 Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool;
even less are lies fitting for a ruler.
8 A bribe is like a lucky charm;
whoever gives one will prosper!
9 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
but dwelling on it separates close friends.
10 A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding
than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.
11 Evil people are eager for rebellion,
but they will be severely punished.
12 It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.
13 If you repay good with evil,
evil will never leave your house.
14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
so stop before a dispute breaks out.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
both are detestable to the Lord.
16 It is senseless to pay to educate a fool,
since he has no heart for learning.
17 A friend is always loyal,
and a brother is born to help in time of need.
18 It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt
or put up security for a friend.
19 Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin;
anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.
20 The crooked heart will not prosper;
the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.
21 It is painful to be the parent of a fool;
there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
23 The wicked take secret bribes
to pervert the course of justice.
24 Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25 Foolish children[b] bring grief to their father
and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.
26 It is wrong to punish the godly for being good
or to flog leaders for being honest.
27 A truly wise person uses few words;
a person with understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
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.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
