17
1 It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread
than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
but Yahweh refines hearts.
4 The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips;
a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker
and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged
and parents bring honor to their children.
7 Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool;
much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.
8 A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love,
but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding
than a hundred blows go into a fool.
11 An evil person only seeks rebellion,
so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a fool in his foolishness.
13 When someone returns evil for good,
evil will never leave his house.
14 The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere,
so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.
15 The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person—
both are an abomination to Yahweh.
16 Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom,
when he has no ability to learn it?
17 A friend is loving at all times
and a brother is born for times of trouble.
18 A man having no sense makes binding promises
and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.
19 Whoever loves conflict loves sin;
the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.
20 A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good;
the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
21 Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself;
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man accepts a secret bribe
to pervert the ways of justice.
24 The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father
and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
26 Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person;
neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.
27 One who has knowledge uses few words
and one with understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent;
when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.