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.
Proverbs 17
International Standard Version
More Words of Wisdom
2 A prudent servant will rule in place of a disgraceful son
and will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The crucible is for silver
and the furnace for gold—
but the Lord assays hearts.
4 Whoever practices evil pays attention to wicked speech,
and the liar listens to malicious talk.
5 Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker,
and whoever is happy about disaster
will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the pride of children is their parents.
7 Appropriate speech is inconsistent with the fool;
how much more are deceitful statements[c] with a prince!
8 A bribe works wonders[d] in the eyes of its giver;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9 Anyone who overlooks[e] an offense promotes love,
but someone who gossips separates close friends.
10 A rebuke is more effective with a man of understanding
than a hundred lashes to a fool.
11 A rebellious person seeks evil;
a cruel emissary will be sent to oppose him.
12 It’s better to meet a mother bear who has lost her cubs
than a fool in his stupidity.
13 The person who repays good with evil
will never see[f] evil leave his home.
14 Starting a quarrel is like spilling water—
so drop the dispute before it escalates.
15 Exonerating the wicked and condemning the righteous
are both detestable to the Lord.
16 What is this? A fool has enough money to buy wisdom,
but is senseless?[g]
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is there[h] for times of trouble.
19 The person who loves transgression loves strife;
the person who builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 The person whose mind[k] is perverse does not find good,
and anyone with perverted speech falls into trouble.
21 The man who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow—
the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit drains one’s strength.[l]
23 The wicked man takes a bribe in secret
in order to pervert the course of justice.
24 A person with understanding has wisdom as his objective,
but a fool looks only[m] to earthly goals.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to his mother.[n]
26 Furthermore, it isn’t good to fine the righteous,
or to beat an official because of his uprightness.
27 Whoever controls what he says is knowledgeable;
anyone who has a calm spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool is thought to be wise when he remains silent;
he is thought to be prudent when he keeps his mouth shut.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:1 Lit. quiet
- Proverbs 17:1 Lit. house full of meat
- Proverbs 17:7 Lit. lips
- Proverbs 17:8 Lit. A gift is a stone of favor
- Proverbs 17:9 Lit. covers
- Proverbs 17:13 The Heb. lacks will see
- Proverbs 17:16 Lit. but has no heart
- Proverbs 17:17 Lit. born
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. sense strikes the palm
- Proverbs 17:20 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 17:22 Lit. spirit dries the bones
- Proverbs 17:24 The Heb. lacks only
- Proverbs 17:25 Lit. to the one who bore him
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.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
