Proverbs 17
1 aBetter is a dry morsel with quietthan a house full of feasting ▼
▼Hebrew sacrifices
with strife.2A servant who deals wisely will rule over ca son who acts shamefully
and dwill share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 eThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
fand the Lord tests hearts.
4An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
5Whoever mocks the poor ginsults his Maker;
he who is hglad at calamity will not go iunpunished.
6 jGrandchildren are kthe crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
7Fine speech is not lbecoming to a fool;
still less is mfalse speech to a prince.
8 nA bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9Whoever ocovers an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter pseparates close friends.
10A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and qa cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12Let a man meet ra she-bear robbed of her cubs
srather than a fool in his folly.
13If anyone treturns evil for good,
uevil will not depart from his house.
14The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so vquit before the quarrel breaks out.
15He who wjustifies the wicked and he who xcondemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16Why should a fool have money in his hand yto buy wisdom
when he has no sense?
17 zA friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
18One who lacks sense gives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who aamakes his door high seeks destruction.
20 abA man of crooked heart does not discover good,
and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21He who acsires a fool gets himself sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 adA joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit aedries up the bones.
23The wicked accepts afa bribe in secret ▼
▼Hebrew a bribe from the bosom
to ahpervert the ways of justice.
24 aiThe discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 ajA foolish son is a grief to his father
akand bitterness to alher who bore him.
26 amTo impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27Whoever anrestrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28Even a fool aowho keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
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