Proverbs 17
Revised Geneva Translation
17 Better is a dry morsel, if peace is with it, than a house full of sacrifices with strife.
2 A discrete servant shall have rule over a lewd son. And he shall divide the heritage among the brothers.
3 The refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold; so the LORD tries the hearts.
4 The wicked are attentive to false lips. A liar listens to the destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor, reproaches his Maker. And whoever rejoices at destruction, shall not be unpunished.
6 Children’s children are the crown of the elders. And the glory of the children are their fathers.
7 High talk does not become a fool; much less lying lips, a prince.
8 A reward is as a stone, pleasant in the eyes of those who have it. It prospers, wherever it turns.
9 Whoever covers a transgression, seeks love. But whoever repeats a matter, separates the prince.
10 A reproof enters more into the wise than a hundred stripes into a fool.
11 A seditious person seeks only evil; and a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
12 It is better for a man to meet a bear, robbed of her whelps, than a fool in his folly.
13 Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is as one who lets out water. Therefore, cease before contention starts.
15 Whoever justifies the wicked, and whoever condemns the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
16 Why is there, in the hand of the fool, the price to get wisdom (when he has no heart for it)?
17 A friend loves at all times. And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man destitute of understanding, shakes hands and becomes surety for his neighbor.
19 He loves transgression who loves strife. He who exalts his gate, seeks fracture.
20 The crooked heart finds no good. And whoever has a destructive tongue, shall fall into evil.
21 Whoever begets a fool, gets himself sorrow. And the father of a fool can have no joy.
22 A joyful heart causes good health. But a sorrowful mind dries the bones.
23 A wicked man takes a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
24 Wisdom is before the discerning. But the eyes of a fool are on the corners of the world.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and a heaviness to her who bore him.
26 Also, it is not good to condemn the just, nor to strike princes for equity.
27 Whoever has knowledge, spares his words. And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
28 Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise; and he who stops his lips, prudent.
Proverbs 17
International Standard Version
More Words of Wisdom
2 A prudent servant will rule in place of a disgraceful son
and will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The crucible is for silver
and the furnace for gold—
but the Lord assays hearts.
4 Whoever practices evil pays attention to wicked speech,
and the liar listens to malicious talk.
5 Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker,
and whoever is happy about disaster
will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the pride of children is their parents.
7 Appropriate speech is inconsistent with the fool;
how much more are deceitful statements[c] with a prince!
8 A bribe works wonders[d] in the eyes of its giver;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9 Anyone who overlooks[e] an offense promotes love,
but someone who gossips separates close friends.
10 A rebuke is more effective with a man of understanding
than a hundred lashes to a fool.
11 A rebellious person seeks evil;
a cruel emissary will be sent to oppose him.
12 It’s better to meet a mother bear who has lost her cubs
than a fool in his stupidity.
13 The person who repays good with evil
will never see[f] evil leave his home.
14 Starting a quarrel is like spilling water—
so drop the dispute before it escalates.
15 Exonerating the wicked and condemning the righteous
are both detestable to the Lord.
16 What is this? A fool has enough money to buy wisdom,
but is senseless?[g]
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is there[h] for times of trouble.
19 The person who loves transgression loves strife;
the person who builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 The person whose mind[k] is perverse does not find good,
and anyone with perverted speech falls into trouble.
21 The man who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow—
the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit drains one’s strength.[l]
23 The wicked man takes a bribe in secret
in order to pervert the course of justice.
24 A person with understanding has wisdom as his objective,
but a fool looks only[m] to earthly goals.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to his mother.[n]
26 Furthermore, it isn’t good to fine the righteous,
or to beat an official because of his uprightness.
27 Whoever controls what he says is knowledgeable;
anyone who has a calm spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool is thought to be wise when he remains silent;
he is thought to be prudent when he keeps his mouth shut.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:1 Lit. quiet
- Proverbs 17:1 Lit. house full of meat
- Proverbs 17:7 Lit. lips
- Proverbs 17:8 Lit. A gift is a stone of favor
- Proverbs 17:9 Lit. covers
- Proverbs 17:13 The Heb. lacks will see
- Proverbs 17:16 Lit. but has no heart
- Proverbs 17:17 Lit. born
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. sense strikes the palm
- Proverbs 17:20 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 17:22 Lit. spirit dries the bones
- Proverbs 17:24 The Heb. lacks only
- Proverbs 17:25 Lit. to the one who bore him
Proverbs 17
New King James Version
The Lord Tests Hearts
2 A wise servant will rule over (B)a son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance among the brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
(C)But the Lord tests the hearts.
4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips;
A liar listens eagerly to a [b]spiteful tongue.
5 (D)He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
(E)He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 (F)Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.
8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
10 (I)Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet (J)a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Whoever (K)rewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore (L)stop contention before a quarrel starts.
15 (M)He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?
17 (N)A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 (O)A man devoid of [c]understanding [d]shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes [e]surety for his friend.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife,
And (P)he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20 He who has a [f]deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has (Q)a perverse tongue falls into evil.
21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe [h]behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.
24 (S)Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A (T)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.
27 (U)He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
28 (V)Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:1 Or sacrificial meals
- Proverbs 17:4 Lit. destructive
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 17:18 Lit. strikes the hands
- Proverbs 17:18 guaranty or collateral
- Proverbs 17:20 crooked
- Proverbs 17:22 Or makes medicine even better
- Proverbs 17:23 Under cover, lit. from the bosom
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
