Proverbs 17

1 Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.

2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

3 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

5 He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.

7 Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

8 A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.

10 A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

14 To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.

16 Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

18 A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

19 He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.

20 The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

21 A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.

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

23 A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.

24 Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

26 It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.

27 A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

28 Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

1 ¶ Better [is] a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices [with] strife.

2 ¶ A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

3 ¶ The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

4 ¶ A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; [and] a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

5 ¶ Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: [and] he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

6 ¶ Children's children [are] the crown of old men; and the glory of children [are] their fathers.

7 ¶ Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

8 ¶ A gift [is as] a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

9 ¶ He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth [very] friends.

10 ¶ A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

11 ¶ An evil [man] seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

12 ¶ Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

13 ¶ Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

14 ¶ The beginning of strife [is as] when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

15 ¶ He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both [are] abomination to the LORD.

16 ¶ Wherefore [is there] a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing [he hath] no heart [to it]?

17 ¶ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

18 ¶ A man void of understanding striketh hands, [and] becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

19 ¶ He loveth transgression that loveth strife: [and] he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

20 ¶ He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

21 ¶ He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

22 ¶ A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

23 ¶ A wicked [man] taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

24 ¶ Wisdom [is] before him that hath 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 that bare him.

26 ¶ Also to punish the just [is] not good, [nor] to strike princes for equity.

27 ¶ He that hath knowledge spareth his words: [and] a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: [and] he that shutteth his lips [is esteemed] a man of understanding.

1 A dry morsel to be satisfied with is better than a house full of slaughter with strife.

2 A wise servant shall rule over indolent heirs, and shall divide the inheritance among the brethren.

3 As the fire is to silver, and the furnace to gold, so the LORD trieth the heart.

4 A wicked man hearkeneth unto evil mouths, and a false man loveth to obey pernicious tongues.

5 He that mocketh the needy scorneth his Maker: and he that rejoiceth in his mischief shall not go unpunished.

6 The crown of the ancients are their children, and the glory of the children are their fathers.

7 It is not fitting for a fool to speak of high things, much less for a prince to lie.

8 He that hath a gift is as a precious stone: whithersoever he turneth, he is esteemed wise.

9 He that covereth sin maketh friends: but he that stirreth up matters maketh princes divided.

10 A rebuke is more grievous to a man of understanding, than an hundred blows to a fool.

11 A bitter man seeketh to do harm: but a cruel angel shall come upon him.

12 It is better to meet a bear whose cubs are stolen, than a fool in his folly.

13 He that repayeth good with evil shall not depart from his house.

14 He that beginneth strife is like unto him that breaketh up the dam of the waters. Thou shalt cease from strife, ere thou be mixed therein.

15 He that justifieth the wicked, and condemneth the righteous, are both an abomination to the LORD.

16 What shall money in the hand of a fool buy wisdom, if he be a fool?

17 A friend loveth always, and a brother is found in trouble.

18 It is a fool that pledges himself to the hand, and becomes surety for his neighbour.

19 He that loveth strife loveth sin: and he that lifteth up his door calamities.

20 A perverse heart findeth no good: and he that is of a perverse tongue shall fall into mischief.

21 He that begetteth a fool hath sorrow; and the father of a fool hath no joy.

22 A merry heart maketh life merry: but a sorrowful spirit drieth the bones.

23 The wicked taketh gifts secretly, to bend the way of righteousness.

24 A man of understanding behaves wisely; a fool casts his eyes to and fro.

25 A foolish son is his father's mourning, and grief to his mother that bare him.

26 It is not good that the righteous should be oppressed, to smite the prince that ruleth aright.

27 A man of understanding moderates his speech, and a man of understanding is a dear soul.

28 A fool, if he held his peace, would also be counted wise, and have understanding, if he held his peace.