Proverbs 17-18
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.
The Name of the Lord Is a Strong Tower
18 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all [i]wise judgment.
2 A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his (W)own heart.
3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach.
5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in (Z)judgment.
6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.
7 (AA)A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his (AB)soul.
8 (AC)The words of a [j]talebearer are like [k]tasty trifles,
And they go down into the [l]inmost body.
9 He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong (AD)tower;
The righteous run to it and are [m]safe.
11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own esteem.
12 (AE)Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
And before honor is humility.
13 He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken spirit?
15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 (AF)A man’s gift makes room for him,
And brings him before great men.
17 The first one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his neighbor comes and examines him.
18 Casting (AG)lots causes contentions to cease,
And keeps the mighty apart.
19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
20 (AH)A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
21 (AI)Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 (AJ)He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the Lord.
23 The poor man uses entreaties,
But the rich answers (AK)roughly.
24 A man who has friends [n]must himself be friendly,
(AL)But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Notas al pie
- 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
- Proverbs 18:1 sound wisdom
- Proverbs 18:8 gossip or slanderer
- Proverbs 18:8 A Jewish tradition wounds
- Proverbs 18:8 Lit. rooms of the belly
- Proverbs 18:10 secure, lit. set on high
- Proverbs 18:24 So with Gr. mss., Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT may come to ruin
Proverbs 17-18
New International Version
17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.(A)
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor(D) shows contempt for their Maker;(E)
whoever gloats over disaster(F) will not go unpunished.(G)
6 Children’s children(H) are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(I)
8 A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.(J)
9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(K)
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(L)
10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
the messenger of death will be sent against them.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool bent on folly.(M)
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.(P)
16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?(S)
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(T)
18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbor.(U)
19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(V)
24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes(AA) wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(AB)
26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(AC)
surely to flog honest officials is not right.
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(AD)
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(AE)
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.(AF)
18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.(AG)
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,(AH)
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.(AK)
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.(AN)
9 One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.(AO)
11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(AR)
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.(AS)
13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.(AT)
14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?(AU)
15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(AV)
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 A gift(AW) opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18 Casting the lot settles disputes(AX)
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 A brother wronged(AY) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.(AZ)
23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(BE)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.