17
Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness
1 Better a dry morsel in quietness
than a house full of feasting * Or sacrifices 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 † Hebrew a bribe from the bosom
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.