Proverbs 17

New American Standard Bible 1995

17 ^(A)Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of ^[a]feasting with strife.
² A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
³ The ^(B)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But ^(C)the Lord tests hearts.
⁴ An ^(D)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A ^[b]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
⁵ He who mocks the ^(E)poor taunts his Maker;
He who ^(F)rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.
^6 (G)Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the ^(H)glory of sons is their fathers.
^7 [c](I)Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are ^(J)lying lips to a prince.
⁸ A ^(K)bribe is a ^[d]charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
⁹ He who ^(L)conceals a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter ^(M)separates intimate friends.
¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
¹¹ A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² Let a ^(N)man meet a ^(O)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
¹³ He who ^(P)returns evil for good,
^(Q)Evil will not depart from his house.
¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So ^(R)abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
¹⁵ He who ^(S)justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
¹⁶ Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to ^(T)buy wisdom,
When ^[e]he has no sense?
¹⁷ A ^(U)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸ A man lacking in ^[f]sense ^[g](V)pledges
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹ He who ^(W)loves transgression loves strife;
He who ^(X)raises his door seeks destruction.
²⁰ He who has a crooked ^[h]mind ^(Y)finds no good,
And he who is ^(Z)perverted in his language falls into evil.
²¹ He who ^(AA)sires a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
²² A ^(AB)joyful heart ^[i]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit ^(AC)dries up the bones.
²³ A wicked man receives a ^(AD)bribe from the bosom
To ^(AE)pervert the ways of justice.
²⁴ Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding,
But the ^(AF)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
²⁵ A ^(AG)foolish son is a grief to his father
And ^(AH)bitterness to her who bore him.
²⁶ It is also not good to ^(AI)fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷ He who ^(AJ)restrains his words ^[j]has knowledge,
And he who has a ^(AK)cool spirit is a man of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool, when he ^(AL)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.