Proverbs 17 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 17 ▼
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1 Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict. 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 servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master’s children. 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 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. 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 Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. 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 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. 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 crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride 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 Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler. 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 is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper! 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 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close 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 single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of 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 Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished. 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 It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness. 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 If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house. 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 a dispute breaks out. 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 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable 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 It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning. 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 is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. 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 It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a 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 Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster. 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 The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles 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 It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel. 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 cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’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 The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course 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 Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. 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 Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth. 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 It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest. 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 A truly wise person uses few words; a person with 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 fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. 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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