Proverbs, 17

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

1. Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.

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

2. A slave who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

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

3. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tries hearts.

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

4. An evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.

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

5. He who mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

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

6. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of sons is their fathers.

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

7. Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.

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

8. A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.

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

9. He who forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter alienates a friend.

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

10. A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows 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 seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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

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

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

13. If a man returns evil for good, evil will 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 like letting out water; so quit before the quarrel breaks out.

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

15. He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an 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. Why should a fool have a price in his hand to buy wisdom, when he has no mind?

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

17. A friend loves 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 without sense gives a pledge, and becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor.

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

19. He who loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

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

20. A man of crooked mind does not prosper, and one with a perverse tongue falls into calamity.

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

21. A stupid son is a grief to a father; and the father of a fool has no joy.

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

22. A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.

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

23. A wicked man accepts a bribe from the bosom to pervert the ways of justice.

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

24. A man of understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on 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 who bore him.

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

26. To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good; to flog noble men is wrong.

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

27. He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

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 who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.