Proverbs 17

Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness

¹Better a dry morsel in quietness

than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

³A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold,

but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

⁴A wicked man listens to evil lips;

a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

⁵He who mocks the poor insults their Maker;

whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of a son is his father.1

⁷Eloquent words are unfit for a fool;

how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

⁸A bribe is a charm to its giver;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁹Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,

but he who brings it up separates friends.

¹⁰A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment

deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion;

a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹²It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool in his folly.

¹³If anyone returns evil for good,

evil will never leave his house.1

¹⁴To start a quarrel is to release a flood;

so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—

both are detestable to the LORD.1

¹⁶Why should the fool have money in his hand

with no intention of buying wisdom?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge

and puts up security for his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife;

he who builds his gate high invites destruction.

²⁰The one with a perverse heart finds no good,

and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

²¹A man fathers a fool to his own grief;

the father of a fool has no joy.

²²A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man takes a covert bribe

to subvert the course of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is the focus of the discerning,

but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶It is surely not good to punish the innocent

or to flog a noble for his honesty.

²⁷A man of knowledge restrains his words,

and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

²⁸Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning when he holds his tongue.