Proverbs 17

New Catholic Bible

¹ It is better to have a dry crust to eat in peace
    than to feast in a house that is filled with strife.
² A wise servant will rule over an unworthy son
    and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
³ The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
    but it is the Lord who tests the heart.
⁴ An evildoer listens eagerly to wicked lips,
    and a liar pays heed to a slanderous tongue.
⁵ Anyone who mocks the poor insults their Creator;^[a]
    whoever gloats at another’s distress will not go unpunished.
⁶ Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
    and the glory of children is their parents.
⁷ Fine words are not becoming to a fool,
    and much less are false words to a noble.
⁸ A bribe is like a magic stone to one who offers it;
    wherever he turns, he meets with success.^[b]
9 One who forgives a misdeed fosters friendship,
    but he who divulges it separates good friends.
¹⁰ A reproof makes a far greater impression upon a discerning person
    than a hundred blows will upon a fool.
¹¹ A wicked man is only interested in fomenting rebellion;
    hence a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² It is better to come upon a bear robbed of her cubs
    rather than confronting a fool in his folly.
¹³ One who returns evil for good
    will forever have misfortune in his house.
¹⁴ To begin a quarrel is like unleashing a flood;
    so desist before the quarreling begins.
¹⁵ Absolving the wicked and condemning the innocent
    are both equally abominable to the Lord.
¹⁶ Of what advantage is money in the hands of a fool?
    Can he purchase wisdom if he has no desire to learn?
¹⁷ A true friend is one at all times,
    and a brother is born to render help in time of need.
¹⁸ A man without sense gives a pledge
    to become surety for a neighbor.^[c]
19 One who sows discord enjoys strife,
    and one who constructs a high threshold invites disaster.
²⁰ One whose heart is perverse will never prosper,
    and one whose tongue is evil will come to trouble.
²¹ The father of a fool endures endless sorrow
    and receives no joy from having begotten him.
²² A cheerful heart^[d] is excellent medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
²³ A wicked man conceals a bribe^[e] under his cloak
    to divert the course of justice.
²⁴ A discerning man sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool range to the ends of the earth.^[f]
25 A foolish son causes grief to his father
    and brings sorrow to the mother who bore him.
²⁶ It is not right to fine the innocent
    or to flog princes for their integrity.
²⁷ One who uses words sparingly is truly wise;
    a man of discernment keeps his tongue under control.
²⁸ Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
    if he closes his lips, he is regarded as intelligent.