Proverbs 17
Modern English Version
17 Better is a dry morsel with quietness
than a house full of sacrifices with strife.
2 A wise servant will have rule over a son who causes shame,
and will have part of the inheritance among the brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tries the hearts.
4 A wicked doer gives heed to false lips,
and a liar gives ear to a wayward tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker,
and he who is glad at calamities will not be unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
and the glory of children are their fathers.
7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
much less lying lips to a prince.
8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him who has it;
wherever he turns, it prospers.
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter separates friends.
10 A reproof enters deeper into a wise man
than a hundred stripes into a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs
rather than a fool in his folly.
13 Whoever rewards evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is as when one lets out water;
therefore abandon contention before a quarrel starts.
15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
both of them are abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom,
seeing he has no heart for it?
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man void of understanding shakes hands,
and becomes a pledge in the presence of his friend.
19 He loves transgression who loves strife,
and he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good,
and he who has a perverse tongue falls into mischief.
21 He who fathers a fool does it to his sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A merry heart does good like a medicine,
but a broken spirit dries the bones.
23 A wicked man takes a bribe out of a hidden place
to pervert the ways of judgment.
24 Wisdom is before him who has 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 who bore him.
26 Also to punish the just is not good,
nor to strike princes for their uprightness.
27 He who 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 shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Proverbs 17
The Message
A Whack on the Head of a Fool
17 A meal of bread and water in contented peace
is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.
2 A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child
and is honored as one of the family.
3 As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan,
so our lives are refined by God.
4 Evil people relish malicious conversation;
the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.
5 Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator;
gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.
6 Old people are distinguished by grandchildren;
children take pride in their parents.
7 We don’t expect eloquence from fools,
nor do we expect lies from our leaders.
8 Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone;
any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.
9 Overlook an offense and bond a friendship;
fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!
10 A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense
does more than a whack on the head of a fool.
11 Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble
won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going!
12 Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs
than a fool hellbent on folly.
13 Those who return evil for good
will meet their own evil returning.
14 The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam,
so stop it before it bursts.
15 Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people
are equally abhorrent to God.
16 What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!
They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it!
One Who Knows Much Says Little
17 Friends love through all kinds of weather,
and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.
18 It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing,
or run up huge bills you can never pay.
19 The person who courts sin marries trouble;
build a wall, invite a burglar.
20 A bad motive can’t achieve a good end;
double-talk brings you double trouble.
21 Having a fool for a child is misery;
it’s no fun being the parent of a dolt.
22 A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.
23 The wicked take bribes under the table;
they show nothing but contempt for justice.
24 The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard;
fools look for it everywhere but right here.
25 A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father,
a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.
26 It’s wrong to penalize good behavior,
or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.
27 The one who knows much says little;
an understanding person remains calm.
28 Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise;
as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson