Proverbs 17

¹Better a dry morsel in quietness

²A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son

³A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold,

⁴A wicked man listens to evil lips;

⁵He who mocks the poor insults their Maker;

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

⁷Eloquent words are unfit for a fool;

⁸A bribe is a charm to its giver;

⁹Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,

¹⁰A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion;

¹²It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

¹³If anyone returns evil for good,

¹⁴To start a quarrel is to release a flood;

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—

¹⁶Why should the fool have money in his hand

¹⁷A friend loves at all times,

¹⁸A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge

¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife;

²⁰The one with a perverse heart finds no good,

²¹A man fathers a fool to his own grief;

²²A joyful heart is good medicine,

²³A wicked man takes a covert bribe 17:23 Hebrew a bribe from the bosom

²⁴Wisdom is the focus of the discerning,

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father

²⁶It is surely not good to punish the innocent

²⁷A man of knowledge restrains his words,

²⁸Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent,