Proverbs 17
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 17
1 Better a dry crust with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.[a]
2 A wise servant will rule over an unworthy son,
and will share the inheritance of the children.[b]
3 The crucible for silver, and the furnace for gold,
but the tester of hearts is the Lord.
4 The evildoer gives heed to wicked lips,
the liar, to a mischievous tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor reviles their Maker;
whoever rejoices in their misfortune will not go unpunished.(A)
6 Children’s children are the crown of the elderly,
and the glory of children is their parentage.
7 Fine words ill fit a fool;
how much more lying lips, a noble!
8 A bribe seems a charm to its user;
at every turn it brings success.[c]
9 Whoever overlooks an offense fosters friendship,
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.[d]
10 A single reprimand does more for a discerning person
than a hundred lashes for a fool.[e]
11 The wicked pursue only rebellion,
and a merciless messenger is sent against them.[f]
12 Face a bear robbed of her cubs,
but never fools in their folly![g]
13 If you return evil for good,
evil will not depart from your house.[h](B)
14 The start of strife is like the opening of a dam;
check a quarrel before it bursts forth!
15 Whoever acquits the wicked,(C) whoever condemns the just—
both are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Of what use is money in the hands of fools
when they have no heart to acquire wisdom?[i]
17 A friend is a friend at all times,
and a brother is born for the time of adversity.(D)
18 Those without sense give their hands in pledge,
becoming surety for their neighbors.(E)
19 Those who love an offense love a fight;(F)
those who build their gate high[j] court disaster.
20 The perverse in heart come to no good,
and the double-tongued fall into trouble.[k]
21 Whoever conceives a fool has grief;
the father of a numskull has no joy.
22 A joyful heart is the health of the body,
but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.(G)
23 A guilty person takes out a bribe from the pocket,
thus perverting the course of justice.[l]
24 On the countenance of a discerning person is wisdom,(H)
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.[m]
25 A foolish son is vexation to his father,
and bitter sorrow to her who bore him.(I)
26 It is wrong to fine an innocent person,
but beyond reason to scourge nobles.
27 Those who spare their words are truly knowledgeable,
and those who are discreet are intelligent.(J)
28 Even fools, keeping silent, are considered wise;
if they keep their lips closed, intelligent.[n]
Footnotes
- 17:1 A “better than” saying, stating the circumstances when a dry crust is better than a banquet. Peace and fellowship give joy to a meal, not the richness of the food. For a similar thought, see 15:16 and 16:8.
- 17:2 Ability is esteemed more highly than ties of blood.
- 17:8 An observation on the effect of the bribe upon the bribe-giver: it gives an intoxicating feeling of power (“seems”). In v. 23 the evil effects of a bribe are noted.
- 17:9 A paradox. One finds (love, friend) by concealing (an offense), one loses (a friend) by revealing (a secret). In 10:12 love also covers over a multitude of offenses.
- 17:10 A wonderful comment on the openness and sensitivity of the wise and the foolish. One type learns from a single word and for the other one hundred blows are not enough.
- 17:11 The irony is that such people will meet up with what they so energetically pursue—in the form of an unrelenting emissary sent to them.
- 17:12 Humorous hyperbole. An outraged dangerous beast poses less danger than a fool.
- 17:13 The paradox is that to pay out evil for good means that the evil will never leave one’s own house.
- 17:16 The exhortation to acquire or purchase wisdom is common in Proverbs. Fools misunderstand the metaphor, assuming they can buy it with money. Their very misunderstanding shows they have no “heart” = mind, understanding. Money in the hand is no good without such a “heart” to store it in.
- 17:19 Build their gate high: a symbol of arrogance.
- 17:20 The saying employs the familiar metaphors of walking = conducting oneself (“fall into trouble”), and of straight and crooked = right and wrong (“perverse,” “double-tongued”).
- 17:23 A sharp look at the sly withdrawing of a bribe from the pocket and a blunt judgment on its significance.
- 17:24 Wisdom is visible on the countenance (i.e., mouth, lips, tongue) of the wise person; its ultimate source is the heart. Fools have no such source of wisdom within them, a point that is nicely made by referring to the eye of the fool, roving over the landscape.
- 17:28 Related to v. 27. Words provide a glimpse into the heart. In the unlikely event that fools, who usually pour out words (15:2), were to say nothing, people would not be able to see their folly and would presume them intelligent. Alas, the saying is contrary to fact.
箴言 17
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
和睦共處，持守正義
17 平靜相安地吃一塊乾餅，
勝過筵席滿屋，吵鬧相爭。
2 明慧的僕人，必管轄主人貽羞的兒子；
又可以在眾兒子中同分產業。
3 用鍋煉銀，用爐煉金；
唯有耶和華鍛煉人心。
4 作惡的人留心聽邪惡的話；
說謊的人側耳聽攻擊人的話。
5 嘲笑窮人的就是辱罵造他的主；
幸災樂禍的必難免受懲罰。
6 兒孫是老人的冠冕，
父親是兒女的榮耀。
7 愚頑人說佳美的話是不相稱的，
何況尊貴的人說虛謊的話呢！
8 在餽送的人看來，賄賂有如靈符（“靈符”原文作“恩惠寶石”）；
無論他到哪裡，都必順利。
9 遮掩別人過犯的，得到人的喜愛；
屢次提起別人過錯的，離間親密的朋友。
10 對聰明人說一句責備的話，
勝過責打愚昧人一百下。
11 悖逆的人只求惡事，
必有殘忍的使者奉派去對付他。
12 寧願遇見失掉幼子的母熊，
也不願遇見正在行愚妄事的愚昧人。
13 以惡報善的，
災禍必不離開他的家。
14 紛爭的開始，如同決堤的水；
所以在爭執發生以前，就要制止。
15 宣判惡人為義，裁定義人有罪，
二者都是耶和華所厭惡的。
16 愚昧人既是無知，
為甚麼手裡拿著價銀要買智慧呢？
17 朋友常顯愛心，
兄弟為患難而生。
18 為鄰舍擊掌作保證人的，
是無知的人。
19 喜愛爭競的就是喜愛過犯；
把家門建高的自取滅亡。
20 心存欺詐的得不著益處；
舌頭搬弄是非的必陷在禍患中。
21 生下愚昧的兒子，使父親憂愁；
愚頑人的父親毫無喜樂。
22 心裡喜樂就是良藥；
心靈憂鬱使骨頭枯乾。
23 惡人暗中（“暗中”原文作“從懷裡”）接受賄賂，
為要歪曲公正。
24 聰明人面前有智慧，
愚昧人卻眼望地極。
25 愚昧的兒子使父親愁煩，
使母親痛苦。
26 懲罰義人，已是不當；
擊打正直的官長，更是不妥。
27 有知識的約束自己的言語；
聰明人心平氣和。
28 愚妄人默不作聲，也算是智慧；
閉口不言，也算是聰明。
Proverbs 17
King James Version
17 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.
2 A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.
3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.
4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
6 Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
7 Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.
8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.
15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.
16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?
17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.
19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
26 Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.
27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
