17 It is better to eat a piece of dry bread in a quiet place,
    than to eat a big feast in a house full of arguments.
² A slave who is wise will have authority over a son who does stupid things.
    When his master dies, that slave will receive some of his valuable things.
³ You need a hot fire to make silver and gold become pure.
    It is the Lord who does that for people,
    to show what they are really like.
⁴ People who do evil things listen to evil advice.
    People who tell lies listen to other people's lies.
⁵ If you laugh at poor people,
    you are insulting God, who made them.
If you are happy when trouble happens to other people,
    you will receive the punishment that you deserve.
⁶ Old people should be proud of their grandchildren.
    In the same way, children should be proud of their parents.
⁷ It does not seem right when a fool says clever things.
    It is certainly not right when a ruler tells lies.
⁸ Somebody who offers a bribe thinks that it will work like magic.
    It will help him to do whatever he wants to do.
⁹ If you forgive people when they hurt you,
    they will still love you.
But if you continue to talk about what they have done,
    they will no longer be your friends.
¹⁰ You can warn a wise person once and he will learn what is right.
    But a fool never learns, even if you hit him a hundred times.
¹¹ An evil person never obeys authority,
    so a cruel messenger will come to punish him.
¹² Do not go near a fool who is doing stupid things.
    It would be safer to meet a mother bear who has lost her babies.
¹³ If people are kind to you, do not do evil things in return.
    Anyone who does that will always have trouble in his home.
¹⁴ It is difficult to stop a quarrel once it has started.
    It is like water that pours out of a broken pot. Stop it quickly!
¹⁵ If a judge says that a guilty person is not guilty,
    the Lord hates it.
If a judge punishes someone who is not guilty,
    the Lord hates that too.
¹⁶ Money does not help a foolish person,
    because he does not want to become wise.
¹⁷ A friend will always show that he loves you.
    Relatives are there to help you when you are in trouble.
¹⁸ Only a stupid person promises to pay someone else's debts,
    even if he is a friend or a neighbour.
¹⁹ Someone who loves to argue loves sin.
    Someone who boasts causes trouble for himself.
²⁰ Anyone who thinks about bad things will not do well in life.
    Anyone who deceives people with lies will have a lot of trouble.
²¹ To have a foolish son makes parents sad.
    The father of a fool is never happy.
²² If you are happy in life, you will be healthy.
    But if you are sad and upset, your body will be weak.
²³ Wicked judges secretly accept bribes.
    Then they are not fair when they judge.
²⁴ A person who knows what is right can easily find wisdom.
    But a foolish person looks everywhere and never finds it.
²⁵ To have a foolish son makes his father sad.
    It makes his mother very upset.
²⁶ It is not right to punish a person who has done nothing wrong.
    It is wrong to beat honest people with sticks.
²⁷ A wise person does not talk too much.
    Anyone who keeps quiet shows that he understands things.
²⁸ Even a fool seems to be wise if he keeps quiet.
    If he keeps his mouth shut, people will think that he is clever.