Proverbs 17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
17 Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.(A)
2 A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.(B)
3 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.(C)
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;
those who are glad at calamity will not go unpunished.(D)
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their parents.(E)
7 Excess speech is not becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a ruler.[a]
8 A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of those who give it;
wherever they turn they prosper.(F)
9 One who forgives an affront fosters friendship,
but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.(G)
10 A rebuke strikes deeper into a discerning person
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 Evil people seek only rebellion,
but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
12 Better to meet a she-bear robbed of its cubs
than to confront a fool immersed in folly.(H)
13 Evil will not depart from the house
of one who returns evil for good.(I)
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so stop before the quarrel breaks out.(J)
15 One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.(K)
16 Why should fools have a price in hand
to buy wisdom when they have no mind to learn?
17 A friend loves at all times,
and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.(L)
18 It is senseless to give a pledge,
to become surety for a neighbor.(M)
19 One who loves transgression loves strife;
one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.(N)
20 The crooked of mind do not prosper,
and the perverse of tongue fall into calamity.(O)
21 The one who fathers a fool gets trouble;
the parent of a fool has no joy.(P)
22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.(Q)
23 The wicked accept a concealed bribe
to pervert the ways of justice.(R)
24 The discerning person looks to wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth.(S)
25 Foolish children are a grief to their father
and bitterness to her who bore them.(T)
26 To impose a fine on the innocent is not right
or to flog the noble for their integrity.(U)
27 One who spares words is knowledgeable;
one who is cool in spirit has understanding.(V)
28 Even fools who keep silent are considered wise;
when they close their lips, they are deemed intelligent.(W)
Footnotes
- 17.7 Or a noble
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
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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