Proverbs 17:15-28

Christian Standard Bible

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just^(A)—
both are detestable to the Lord.

¹⁶ Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?^(B)

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,^(C)
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

¹⁸ One without sense enters an agreement^[a]
and puts up security for his friend.^(D)

¹⁹ One who loves to offend loves strife;^(E)
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.^(F)

²¹ A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.^(G)

²² A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.^(H)

²³ A wicked person secretly takes a bribe^(I)
to subvert the course of justice.^(J)

²⁴ Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes^(K) roam to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.^(L)

²⁶ It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.^[b](M)

²⁷ The one who has knowledge restrains his words,^(N)
and one who keeps a cool head^[c]
is a person of understanding.

²⁸ Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—
discerning, when he seals his lips.^(O)