Proverbs 17
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Holman Christian Standard BibleNET Bible
1Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife. 1Better is a dry crust of bread where there is quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers. 2A servant who acts wisely will rule over an heir who behaves shamefully, and will share the inheritance along with the relatives.
3A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the LORD is the tester of hearts. 3The crucible is for refining silver and the furnace is for gold, likewise the LORD tests hearts.
4A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. 4One who acts wickedly pays attention to evil counsel; a liar listens to a malicious tongue.
5The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished. 5The one who mocks the poor insults his Creator; whoever rejoices over disaster will not go unpunished.
6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers. 6Grandchildren are like a crown to the elderly, and the glory of children is their parents.
7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool's lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler. 7Excessive speech is not becoming for a fool; how much less are lies for a ruler!
8A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds. 8A bribe works like a charm for the one who offers it; in whatever he does he succeeds.
9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends. 9The one who forgives an offense seeks love, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.
10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than a hundred lashes into a fool. 10A rebuke makes a greater impression on a discerning person than a hundred blows on a fool.
11An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 11An evil person seeks only rebellion, and so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness. 12It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs, than to encounter a fool in his folly.
13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never depart from his house. 13As for the one who repays evil for good, evil will not leave his house.
14To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out. 14Starting a quarrel is like letting out water; stop it before strife breaks out!
15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just-- both are detestable to the LORD. 15The one who acquits the guilty and the one who condemns the innocent--both of them are an abomination to the LORD.
16Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? 16Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no intention of acquiring wisdom?
17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time. 17A friend loves at all times, and a relative is born to help in adversity.
18One without sense enters an agreement and puts up security for his friend. 18The one who lacks wisdom strikes hands in pledge, and puts up financial security for his neighbor.
19One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury. 19The one who loves a quarrel loves transgression; whoever builds his gate high seeks destruction.
20One with a twisted mind will not succeed, and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin. 20The one who has a perverse heart does not find good, and the one who is deceitful in speech falls into trouble.
21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy. 21Whoever brings a fool into the world does so to his grief, and the father of a fool has no joy.
22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. 22A cheerful heart brings good healing, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23A wicked man secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice. 23A wicked person receives a bribe secretly to pervert the ways of justice.
24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool's eyes roam to the ends of the earth. 24Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth.
25A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him. 25A foolish child is a grief to his father, and bitterness to the mother who bore him.
26It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person or to beat a noble for his honesty. 26It is terrible to punish a righteous person, and to flog honorable men is wrong.
27The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding. 27The truly wise person restrains his words, and the one who stays calm is discerning.
28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when he seals his lips. 28Even a fool who remains silent is considered wise, and the one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 16
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