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
Lexham English Bible
17 Better a dry morsel and quiet with it
than a house filled with feasts of strife.
2 A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully,
and in the midst of brothers he will share his inheritance.
3 A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace is for the gold,
but Yahweh will test hearts.
4 He who does evil listens to lips of wickedness,
and the liar gives heed to the tongue of mischief.
5 He who mocks the poor insults him who made him;
he who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 The crown of the elderly are grandchildren,[a]
and the glory of children is their fathers.
7 Fine speech[b] is not becoming a fool,
still less[c] is false speech[d] for a ruler.
8 The bribe is a stone of magic in the eyes of its owner;[e]
everywhere[f] he will turn, he will prosper.
9 He who forgives an affront fosters love,
but he who waits on a matter will alienate a friend.
10 A rebuke strikes him who understands
deeper than one hundred blows to a fool.
11 An evil person will seek only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 May a man meet a she-bear robbed of offspring
and not a fool in his folly.
13 For he who returns evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
14 Like the release of water is the beginning of strife;
before it breaks out, stop the quarrel.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
the two of them are both abominations of Yahweh.
16 Why is this? A price in the hand of a fool,
in order to buy wisdom where[g] there is no sense.[h]
17 The friend loves at all times[i],
but a brother is born for adversity.
18 A person who lacks sense[j] pledges;[k]
he becomes security before his neighbor.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife;
he who builds his high thresholds seeks destruction.
20 He who is crooked of heart[l] will not find goodness,
and he who is perverse, by his tongue he will fall into calamity.
21 He who begets a fool, there is trouble for him;
the father of a fool will not rejoice.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a downcast spirit will dry out bones.
23 The wicked will accept a bribe from the lap,
in order to pervert the ways of justice.
24 He who understands sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool, to the end of the earth.[m]
25 A grief to his father is the child of a fool,
and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Also, imposing a fine on the righteous is not good,
nor to flog nobles for uprightness.
27 He who spares his sayings knows knowledge,
and a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool who keeps silent shall be considered wise;[n]
he who closes his lips is intelligent.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:6 Literally “sons of sons”
- Proverbs 17:7 Literally “A lip of fineness”
- Proverbs 17:7 Literally “only for”
- Proverbs 17:7 Literally “lip of deceit”
- Proverbs 17:8 Or “master”
- Proverbs 17:8 Literally “to all which”
- Proverbs 17:16 Hebrew “and”
- Proverbs 17:16 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 17:17 Hebrew “time”
- Proverbs 17:18 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 17:18 Literally “pledges a hand”
- Proverbs 17:20 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 17:24 Or “land”
- Proverbs 17:28 Literally “wise, he shall be considered”
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