Proverbs, 17

1. Better a mouthful of dry bread with peace than a house filled with quarrelsome sacrifices.

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

2. A shrewd servant comes off better than an unworthy child, he will share the inheritance with the brothers.

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

3. A furnace for silver, a foundry for gold, but Yahweh for the testing of hearts!

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

4. An evil-doer pays heed to malicious talk, a liar listens to a slanderous tongue.

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

5. To mock the poor is to insult the Creator, no one who laughs at distress will go unpunished.

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

6. The crown of the aged is their children's children; the children's glory is their father.

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

7. Fine words do not become the foolish, false words become a prince still less.

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

8. A gift works like a talisman for one who holds it: it brings prosperity at every turn.

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

9. Whoever covers an offence promotes love, whoever again raises the matter divides friends.

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

10. A reproof makes more impression on a person of understanding than a hundred strokes on a fool.

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

11. The wicked person thinks of nothing but rebellion, but a cruel messenger will be sent to such a one.

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

12. Rather come on a bear robbed of her cubs than on a fool in his folly.

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

13. Disaster will never be far from the house of one who returns evil for good.

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

14. As well unleash a flood as start a dispute; desist before the quarrel breaks out.

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

15. To absolve the guilty and condemn the upright, both alike are abhorrent to Yahweh.

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

16. What good is money in the hand of a fool? To buy wisdom with it? The desire is not there.

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 is a friend at all times, it is for adversity that a brother is born.

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

18. Whoever offers guarantees lacks sense and goes surety for a neighbour.

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

19. The double-dealer loves sin, the proud courts ruin.

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

20. The tortuous of heart finds no happiness, the perverse of speech falls into misery.

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

21. He who fathers a stupid child does so to his sorrow, the father of a fool knows no joy.

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

22. A glad heart is excellent medicine, a depressed spirit wastes the bones away.

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

23. Under cover of his cloak a bad man takes a gift to pervert the course of justice.

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

24. The intelligent has wisdom there before him, but the eyes of a fool range to the ends of the earth.

24. Wisdom [is] before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool [are] in the ends of the earth.

25. A foolish child is a father's sorrow, and the grief of her who gave the child birth.

25. A foolish son [is] a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

26. To fine the upright is indeed a crime, to strike the noble is an injustice.

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

27. Whoever can control the tongue knows what knowledge is, someone of understanding keeps a cool temper.

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

28. If the fool holds his tongue, he may pass for wise; if he seals his lips, he may pass for intelligent.

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