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New Testament
Proverbs 17
More Advice for a Son
171Better a piece of dry bread with peace
than a house full of feasting with quarreling.
2A wise slave will rule over a shameful son.
He will share the inheritance with the brothers.
3There is a crucible for refining silver and a smelter for gold.
In the same way the Lord examines hearts.
4An evildoer pays attention to wicked lips.
5Whoever mocks a poor person insults his Maker.
A person who rejoices over calamity will not escape.
6Grandchildren are a crown for the elderly,
and parents are a source of pride for their children.
Introduction to Fools and Foolishness:
The Consequences of Being a Fool
How much less lying lips for a ruler!
8A bribe works like a charm for the person who gives it.
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9A person who covers an offense pursues love,
but one who repeats the matter separates friends.
10A reprimand impresses a discerning person
more than receiving a hundred lashes impresses a fool.
11An evil person promotes only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a fool in his stupidity.
13A person who repays evil for good—
evil will never leave his house.
14Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
so stop the dispute before it gets started.
15Acquitting a guilty person
and convicting an innocent person—
16Why hand a fool money to buy wisdom,
since he has no aptitude for using it?
17A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of trouble.
18A person without sense shakes hands
to guarantee a loan for his neighbor.
19A person who loves sin loves conflict.
A person who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20A crooked mind does not find good.
A perverted tongue will fall into disaster.
21The man who fathers a fool has grief,
and the father of an arrogant fool will have no joy.
22A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23A wicked person secretly accepts a bribe
to pervert the ways of justice.
24Wisdom is right in front of a discerning person,
but a fool's eyes wander to the end of the earth.
Avoiding Fools and Foolishness
25A foolish son is an aggravation to his father
and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
26It is not good to impose a fine on a righteous person
nor to flog officials because of their uprightness.
27A person with knowledge restrains his words.
A person with understanding is even-tempered.
28Even a stubborn fool who keeps silent will be considered wise.
He is considered to be perceptive if he keeps his lips shut.