Proverbs 17:10-19:16

English Standard Version

¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
    than a hundred blows into a fool.
¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion,
    and ^(A)a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² Let a man meet ^(B)a she-bear robbed of her cubs
    ^(C)rather than a fool in his folly.
¹³ If anyone ^(D)returns evil for good,
    ^(E)evil will not depart from his house.
¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
    so ^(F)quit before the quarrel breaks out.
¹⁵ He who ^(G)justifies the wicked and he who ^(H)condemns the righteous
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
¹⁶ Why should a fool have money in his hand ^(I)to buy wisdom
    when he has no sense?
^17 (J)A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸ One who lacks sense gives a pledge
    and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹ Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
    he who ^(K)makes his door high seeks destruction.
^20 (L)A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
    and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
²¹ He who ^(M)sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
    and the father of a fool has no joy.
^22 (N)A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit ^(O)dries up the bones.
²³ The wicked accepts ^(P)a bribe in secret^[a]
    to ^(Q)pervert the ways of justice.
^24 (R)The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
^25 (S)A foolish son is a grief to his father
    ^(T)and bitterness to ^(U)her who bore him.
^26 (V)To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
    nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷ Whoever ^(W)restrains his words has knowledge,
    and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool ^(X)who keeps silent is considered wise;
    when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
18 Whoever ^(Y)isolates himself seeks his own desire;
    he breaks out against all sound judgment.
² A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only ^(Z)in expressing his opinion.
³ When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
    and with dishonor comes disgrace.
⁴ The words of a man's mouth are ^(AA)deep waters;
    the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
⁵ It is not good to ^(AB)be partial to^[b] the wicked
    or to ^(AC)deprive the righteous of justice.
⁶ A fool's lips walk into a fight,
    and his mouth invites ^(AD)a beating.
^7 (AE)A fool's mouth is his ruin,
    and his lips are a snare to his soul.
^8 (AF)The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into ^(AG)the inner parts of the body.
⁹ Whoever is slack in his work
    is a ^(AH)brother to him who destroys.
^10 (AI)The name of the Lord is ^(AJ)a strong tower;
    the righteous man runs into it and ^(AK)is safe.
^11 (AL)A rich man's wealth is his strong city,
    and like a high wall in his imagination.
^12 (AM)Before destruction a man's heart is haughty,
    but ^(AN)humility comes before honor.
¹³ If one gives an answer ^(AO)before he hears,
    it is his folly and shame.
¹⁴ A man's spirit will endure sickness,
    but ^(AP)a crushed spirit who can bear?
¹⁵ An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
    and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
¹⁶ A man's ^(AQ)gift makes room for him
    and brings him before the great.
¹⁷ The one who states his case first seems right,
    until the other comes and examines him.
^18 (AR)The lot puts an end to quarrels
    and decides between powerful contenders.
¹⁹ A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
    and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
^20 (AS)From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied;
    he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
^21 (AT)Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
    and those who love it will eat its fruits.
²² He who finds ^(AU)a wife finds ^(AV)a good thing
    and ^(AW)obtains favor ^(AX)from the Lord.
²³ The poor use entreaties,
    but ^(AY)the rich answer roughly.
²⁴ A man of many companions may come to ruin,
    but ^(AZ)there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
19 ^(BA)Better is a poor person who ^(BB)walks in his integrity
    than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
² Desire^[c] without knowledge is not good,
    and whoever ^(BC)makes haste with his feet misses his way.
³ When a man's folly ^(BD)brings his way to ruin,
    his heart ^(BE)rages against the Lord.
^4 (BF)Wealth brings many new friends,
    ^(BG)but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
^5 (BH)A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who ^(BI)breathes out lies will not escape.
⁶ Many seek the favor of a generous man,^[d]
    and everyone is a friend to a man who gives ^(BJ)gifts.
^7 (BK)All a poor man's brothers hate him;
    ^(BL)how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.^[e]
8 (BM)Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
    he who keeps understanding will ^(BN)discover good.
^9 (BO)A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who ^(BP)breathes out lies will perish.
^10 (BQ)It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    much less for ^(BR)a slave to rule over princes.
^11 (BS)Good sense makes one slow to anger,
    and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
¹² A king's wrath is like ^(BT)the growling of a lion,
    but his ^(BU)favor is like ^(BV)dew on the grass.
^13 (BW)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
    and ^(BX)a wife's quarreling is ^(BY)a continual dripping of rain.
^14 (BZ)House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
    but a prudent wife is ^(CA)from the Lord.
^15 (CB)Slothfulness casts into ^(CC)a deep sleep,
    and ^(CD)an idle person will suffer hunger.
¹⁶ Whoever ^(CE)keeps the commandment keeps his life;
    he who despises his ways will die.