17 Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife.(A)

A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.

A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,(B)
and the Lord is the tester of hearts.(C)

A wicked person listens to malicious talk;[a]
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,(D)
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.(E)

Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of sons is their fathers.

Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.

A bribe(F) seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.(G)

Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,(H)
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.(I)

10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
a cruel messenger[b](J) will be sent against him.

12 Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs(K)
than a fool in his foolishness.

13 If anyone returns evil for good,(L)
evil will never depart from his house.(M)

14 To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.(N)

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just(O)
both are detestable to the Lord.

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

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

18 One without sense enters an agreement[c]
and puts up security for his friend.(R)

19 One who loves to offend loves strife;(S)
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.(T)

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

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

23 A wicked man secretly takes a bribe(W)
to subvert the course of justice.(X)

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

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

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

27 The intelligent person restrains his words,(AB)
and one who keeps a cool head[e]
is a man of understanding.

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

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:4 Lit to lips of iniquity
  2. Proverbs 17:11 Or a merciless angel
  3. Proverbs 17:18 Lit sense shakes hands
  4. Proverbs 17:26 Or noble unfairly
  5. Proverbs 17:27 Lit spirit

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