Proverbs 17–18
17 mBetter is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting1 with strife.
2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over na son who acts shamefully
and owill share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 pThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
qand the Lord tests hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor rinsults his Maker;
he who is sglad at calamity will not go tunpunished.
6 uGrandchildren are vthe crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
7 Fine speech is not wbecoming to a fool;
still less is xfalse speech to a prince.
8 yA bribe is like a magic2 stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9 Whoever zcovers an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter aseparates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and ba cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet ca she-bear robbed of her cubs
drather than a fool in his folly.
13 If anyone ereturns evil for good,
fevil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so gquit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 He who hjustifies the wicked and he who icondemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have money in his hand jto buy wisdom
when he has no sense?
17 kA friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
18 One who lacks sense gives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who lmakes his door high seeks destruction.
20 mA man of crooked heart does not discover good,
and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 He who nsires a fool gets himself sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 oA joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit pdries up the bones.
23 The wicked accepts qa bribe in secret3
to rpervert the ways of justice.
24 sThe discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 nA foolish son is a grief to his father
tand bitterness to uher who bore him.
26 vTo impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 Whoever wrestrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool xwho keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
18 Whoever yisolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only zin expressing his opinion.
3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are adeep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 It is not good to bbe partial to1 the wicked
or to cdeprive the righteous of justice.
6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites da beating.
7 eA fool’s mouth is his ruin,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.
8 fThe words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into gthe inner parts of the body.
9 Whoever is slack in his work
is a hbrother to him who destroys.
10 iThe name of the Lord is ja strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and kis safe.
11 lA rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
12 mBefore destruction a man’s heart is haughty,
but nhumility comes before honor.
13 If one gives an answer obefore he hears,
it is his folly and shame.
14 A man’s spirit will endure sickness,
but pa crushed spirit who can bear?
15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man’s qgift makes room for him
and brings him before the great.
17 The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him.
18 rThe lot puts an end to quarrels
and decides between powerful contenders.
19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20 sFrom the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21 tDeath and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22 He who finds ua wife finds va good thing
and wobtains favor xfrom the Lord.
but ythe rich answer roughly.
24 A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but zthere is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.