Proverbs 17 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 17 ▼
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1 Good a dry morsel and peace with it, above a house full of sacrifices of contention. 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 An understanding servant shall rule a son causing shame, and shall divide the inheritance in the midst of the brethren. 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 for silver and the furnace for gold: and Jehovah tries hearts. 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 He doing evil attends upon, lips of vanity; he lying feeds upon a tongue of mischief. 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 He mocking to the poor one reproached him making him: and he rejoicing at misfortune shall not be unpunished. 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 The crown of old men, sons' sons: and the glory of sons their fathers. 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 The lip of excellence is not becoming to, the foolish one: much less the lip of falsehood to the noble one. 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 The gift a stone of grace in the, eyes of him possessing it: to all which it shall turn it shall 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 He covering transgression seeks love; and he perverting in the word, separates a, friend. 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 reproof will take hold upon, him understanding more than a hundred, blows the foolish. 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 An evil one will seek only contradiction: and a cruel messenger shall be sent against 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 A bereaved bear meeting with a, man, and not a fool in his folly. 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 He turning back evil, instead of good, evil shall not move from his 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 The causing water to break forth is the beginning of strife: cast off contention before being irritated. 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 He justifying the unjust one and he condemning the just one, is an abomination to Jehovah, also they two. 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 Wherefore this a price in the hand of the foolish one to obtain wisdom, and no heart? 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 loves in all time, and a brother shall be born for straits. 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 man wanting heart will strike the hand, pledging a pledge before 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 He loving transgression loves contention: he lifting up his gate seeks breaking. 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 perverse of heart shall not find good: and he turning about with his tongue shall fall into evil. 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 foolish one was born for sorrow to himself, and the father of the foolish one shall not rejoice. 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 shall make good healing: and a dejected spirit shall dry up the bones. 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 unjust one will take a gift from the bosom to turn, aside the paths of judgment. 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 with the face of him understanding, and the eyes of the foolish one are in 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 A foolish son a grief to his father, and bitterness to her bringing him forth. 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 Also punishing to the just one is not good, to strike nobles for uprightness. 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 He withholding his words will shew knowledge: I man of understanding is a cool spirit. 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 Also the foolish one being silent shall be thought wise: and he shutting his lips, understanding. 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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