Proverbs 17
International Children’s Bible
17 It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace
than to have a feast where there is quarreling.
2 A wise servant will rule over his master’s disgraceful son.
And he will even inherit a share of what the master leaves his sons.
3 A hot furnace tests silver and gold.
In the same way, the Lord tests a person’s heart.
4 An evil person listens to evil words.
A liar pays attention to cruel words.
5 If you make fun of the poor,
you insult God, who made them.
If you laugh at someone’s trouble,
you will be punished.
6 Grandchildren are the reward of old people.
And children are proud of their parents.
7 Foolish people should not be proud.
And rulers should not be liars!
8 A person might think he can pay people and they will do anything he asks.
He thinks it will succeed every time.
9 Whoever forgives someone’s sin makes a friend.
But the one who tells about the sin breaks up friendships.
10 A wise man will learn more from a warning
than a foolish person will learn from 100 lashings.
11 A disobedient person is only looking for trouble.
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a foolish person doing foolish things.
13 If a person gives evil in return for good,
his house will always be full of trouble.
14 Starting a quarrel is like a leak in a dam.
So stop the quarrel before a fight breaks out.
15 The Lord hates both these things:
letting guilty people go free and punishing those who are not guilty.
16 It won’t do a fool any good to try to buy wisdom.
He doesn’t really want to be wise.
17 A friend loves you all the time.
A brother is always there to help you.
18 It is not wise to promise
to pay what your neighbor owes.
19 Whoever loves to quarrel loves to sin.
Whoever is proud is asking for trouble.
20 A person with an evil heart will find no success.
And the person whose words are evil will get into trouble.
21 It is sad to have a foolish son.
There is no joy in being the father of a fool.
22 A happy heart is like good medicine.
But a broken spirit drains your strength.
23 A wicked person secretly accepts money to do wrong.
Then there will be no fairness.
24 The person with understanding looks for wisdom.
But a foolish person lets his mind wander everywhere.
25 A foolish son makes his father sad.
And he causes his mother great sorrow.
26 It is not good to punish those who have done what is right.
Nor is it good to punish leaders for being honest.
27 The person who has knowledge says very little.
And a person with understanding stays calm.
28 Even a foolish person seems to be wise if he keeps quiet.
He appears to have understanding if he doesn’t speak.
Proverbs 17
The Voice
17 Better to gnaw on a bit of dry crust in peace
than to feast in a house full of stress.
2 A wise servant will be put in charge of a child who behaves badly
and will take a share of the inheritance like one of the family.
3 Silver is purified in the crucible, gold in the furnace,
but motives of the heart are judged by the Eternal.
4 Wrongdoers perk up when listening to gossip,
and liars lean in close to hear talk of mischief.
5 Anyone who makes fun of the poor disparages his Maker,
and those who celebrate another’s misfortune will not escape certain punishment.
6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory and ultimate delight of old age,
and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Elegant speech sounds odd when it comes from a fool,
and a lie on the lips of a leader is even more out of place!
8 A bribe is like an enchanting charm to one who counts on it—
everywhere he looks he sees the illusion of success.
9 Those who forgive faults foster love,
but those who repeatedly recall them ruin relationships.
10 A single correction makes a more lasting impression on one who is wise
than a hundred lashes do on a fool.
11 Evil people are determined to rebel,
and so a merciless messenger will chase them down.
12 Better to face a mother bear stripped of her cubs
than to encounter a fool caught up in his foolishness.
13 Those who repay good with evil
bring unrelenting trouble upon their families.
14 Picking a fight is like leaking water from a crack in a dam,
so walk away from an argument before the outburst.
15 Both of these deeply offend the Eternal:
one who acquits the guilty and one who condemns the innocent.
16 Even if fools had the means to obtain wisdom,
they would not be able to benefit from it.
17 A true friend loves regardless of the situation,
and a real brother exists to share the tough times.
18 Only a fool shakes hands on a deal
and guarantees repayment of someone else’s loan.
19 A person who loves sin loves a fight,
and one who builds a grand entrance dares others to tear it down.
20 Crooked-hearted people never recognize anything good,
and those who distort the truth court disaster.
21 Having a fool for a child is misery;
there is no joy in parenting a fool.
22 A joy-filled heart is curative balm,
but a broken spirit hurts all the way to the bone.
23 A wicked person accepts a bribe under the table
to derail the course of justice.
24 Those who understand look to wisdom for guidance,
but fools fasten their eyes on some distant horizon.
25 Foolish children irritate their fathers
and embitter their mothers.
26 Also know this: It is wrong to penalize those who do what is right
or to lash the noble because of their integrity.
27 Those with knowledge know when to be quiet,
and those with understanding know how to remain calm.
28 Even a fool who keeps quiet is considered wise,
for when he keeps his mouth shut, he appears clever.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.