Aa
1Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife.17:1 Pr 15:17; 21:9,19; 25:24

2A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.

3A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,17:3 Pr 27:21
and the Lord is the tester of hearts.17:3 1Ch 29:17; Ps 26:2; Pr 16:2; 21:2; Is 48:10; Jr 17:10; Mal 3:3

4A wicked person listens to malicious talk;17:4 Lit to lips of iniquity
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

5The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,17:5 Pr 14:31; 21:13
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.17:5 Jb 31:29; Pr 24:17; Lm 1:21–22; Ezk 25:6–7; 35:15; Ob 12

6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of children is their fathers.

7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.

8A bribe17:8 Ex 23:8; Is 1:23; Am 5:12 seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.17:8 Pr 18:16; 19:6; 21:14

9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,17:9 Pr 10:12; Jms 5:20; 1Pt 4:8
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.17:9 Lv 19:16; Pr 11:13; 16:28

10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

11An evil person desires only rebellion;
a cruel messenger17:11 Or a merciless angel17:11 Ps 78:49 will be sent against him.

12Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs17:12 2Sm 17:8; Hs 13:8
than a fool in his foolishness.

13If anyone returns evil for good,17:13 Ps 35:12; 109:5
evil will never depart from his house.17:13 2Sm 12:10

14To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.17:14 Pr 20:3; 25:8

15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just17:15 Ex 23:7; Pr 17:26; 18:5; 24:23–24; Is 5:23 —
both are detestable to the Lord.

16Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?17:16 Pr 4:5,7; 18:15; 23:23

17A friend loves at all times,17:17 Ru 1:16; Pr 18:24; 27:10
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

18One without sense enters an agreement17:18 Lit sense slaps hands
and puts up security for his friend.17:18 Pr 6:1–5; 11:15; 22:26

19One who loves to offend loves strife;17:19 Pr 29:22
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

20One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.17:20 Jr 23:36

21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.17:21 Pr 10:1; 17:25; 19:13; 23:24–25

22A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.17:22 Ps 22:15; Pr 14:30; 15:13; 18:14

23A wicked person secretly takes a bribe17:23 Pr 17:8
to subvert the course of justice.17:23 Dt 16:19; Ps 15:5; Pr 18:5; Mc 3:11; 7:3

24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes17:24 Ec 2:14 roam to the ends of the earth.

25A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.17:25 Pr 10:1; 17:21; 19:13

26It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.17:26 Or noble unfairly17:26 Pr 17:15; 18:5; 24:23–24

27The one who has knowledge restrains his words,17:27 Pr 10:19; Jms 1:19; 3:2
and one who keeps a cool head17:27 Lit spirit
is a person of understanding.

28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent —
discerning, when he seals his lips.17:28 Jb 13:5; Pr 10:19