Pro 17 | NASB1995 | STEP | Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife .

Proverbs 17

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1 ^aBetter is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of ^{▼▼ Lit sacrifices of strife}feasting with strife.
2 A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
3 The ^crefining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But ^dthe Lord tests hearts.
4 An ^eevildoer listens to wicked lips;
A ^{▼▼ Lit falsehood}liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 He who mocks the ^gpoor taunts his Maker;
He who ^hrejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 ⁱGrandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the ^jglory of sons is their fathers.
7 ^{▼▼ Lit A lip of abundance
,} ^lExcellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are ^mlying lips to a prince.
8 A ⁿbribe is a ^{▼▼ Lit stone of favor}charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 He who ^pconceals a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter ^qseparates intimate friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a ^rman meet a ^sbear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
13 He who ^treturns evil for good,
^uEvil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So ^vabandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
15 He who ^wjustifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to ^xbuy wisdom,
When ^{▼▼ Lit there is no heart}he has no sense?
17 A ^zfriend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man lacking in ^{▼▼ Lit heart}sense ^{▼▼ Lit shakes hands
,} ^acpledges
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
19 He who ^adloves transgression loves strife;
He who ^aeraises his door seeks destruction.
20 He who has a crooked ^{▼▼ Lit heart}mind ^agfinds no good,
And he who is ^ahperverted in his language falls into evil.
21 He who ^aisires a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A ^ajjoyful heart ^{▼▼ Lit causes good healing}is good medicine,
But a broken spirit ^aldries up the bones.
23 A wicked man receives a ^ambribe from the bosom
To ^anpervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding,
But the ^aoeyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A ^apfoolish son is a grief to his father
And ^aqbitterness to her who bore him.
26 It is also not good to ^arfine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 He who ^asrestrains his words ^{▼▼ Lit knows}has knowledge,
And he who has a ^aucool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool, when he ^avkeeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.