Proverbs 17 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 17 ▼
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1 Better a bite of dry bread [eaten] in peace than a family feast filled with strife. Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
2 A wise slave will become master over a son who acts shamefully, and he will share the inheritance with the brothers. A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
3 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, but the one who purifies hearts [by fire]is the LORD. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts. The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
4 An evildoer pays attention to wicked lips. A liar opens his ears to a slanderous tongue. An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever makes fun of a poor person insults his maker. Whoever is happy [to see someone's] distress will not escape punishment. Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of grandparents, and parents are the glory of their children. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Refined speech is not fitting for a godless fool. How much less does lying fit a noble person! Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince. Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
8 A bribe seems [like] a jewel to the one who gives it. Wherever he turns, he prospers. A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers. A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn.
9 Whoever forgives an offense seeks love, but whoever keeps bringing up the issue separates the closest of friends. Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
10 A reprimand impresses a person who has understanding more than a hundred lashes impress a fool. A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool. A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11 A rebel looks for nothing but evil. Therefore, a cruel messenger will be sent [to punish] him. An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of its cubs than a fool [carried away] with his stupidity. Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly. Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.
13 Whoever pays back evil for good- evil will never leave his home. If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.
14 Starting a quarrel is [like] opening a floodgate, so stop before the argument gets out of control. The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15 Whoever approves of wicked people and whoever condemns righteous people is disgusting to the LORD. He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the LORD detests them both.
16 Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he doesn't have a mind to grasp anything? Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense? Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?
17 A friend always loves, and a brother is born to share trouble. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
18 A person without good sense closes a deal with a handshake. He guarantees a loan in the presence of his friend. One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge and puts up security for a neighbor.
19 Whoever loves sin loves a quarrel. Whoever builds his city gate high invites destruction. Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction. Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 A twisted mind never finds happiness, and one with a devious tongue [repeatedly]gets into trouble. A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
21 The parent of a fool has grief, and the father of a godless fool has no joy. He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy. To have a fool for a child brings grief; there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one's strength. A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked person secretly accepts a bribe to corrupt the ways of justice. The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice. The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice.
24 Wisdom is directly in front of an understanding person, but the eyes of a fool [are looking around]all over the world. The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a heartache to his father and bitter grief to his mother. A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore him.
26 To punish an innocent person is not good. To strike down noble people is not right. To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good, surely to flog honest officials is not right.
27 Whoever has knowledge controls his words, and a person who has understanding is even-tempered. Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even a stubborn fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent. He is considered intelligent if he keeps his lips sealed. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.
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