Proverbs 17

17It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace and quiet

than to eat a big dinner in a house that is full of fighting.

²A wise servant will rule over a shameful child.

He will be given part of the property as if he were a family member.

³Fire tests silver. Heat tests gold.

But the Lord tests our hearts.

⁴An evil person listens to evil words.

A liar pays attention to words that are harmful.

⁵Anyone who laughs at those who are poor makes fun of their Maker.

Anyone who is happy when others suffer will be punished.

⁶Grandchildren are like a crown to older people.

And children are proud of their parents.

⁷It isn’t proper for foolish people to brag.

And it certainly isn’t proper for rulers to tell lies!

⁸Money buys favors for those who give it.

No matter where they turn, they succeed.

⁹Those who erase a sin by forgiving it show love.

But those who talk about it come between close friends.

¹⁰A person who understands what is right learns more from just a warning

than a foolish person learns from 100 strokes with a whip.

¹¹An evil person never wants to obey.

An official who shows no mercy will be sent against him.

¹²It is better to meet a bear whose cubs have been stolen

than to meet a foolish person who is acting foolishly.

¹³Evil will never leave the house

of anyone who pays back evil for good.

¹⁴Starting to argue is like making a crack in a dam.

So drop the matter before a fight breaks out.

¹⁵The Lord hates two things.

He hates it when the guilty are set free.

He also hates it when those who aren’t guilty are punished.

¹⁶What good is money in the hands of a foolish person?

He doesn’t want to become wise.

¹⁷A friend loves at all times.

He is there to help when trouble comes.

¹⁸A man who has little sense agrees to pay what other people owe.

It isn’t wise to put up money for others.

¹⁹The one who loves to argue loves to sin.

The one who builds a high gate is just asking to be destroyed.

²⁰If your heart is twisted, you won’t succeed.

If your tongue tells lies, you will get into trouble.

²¹It is sad to have a foolish child.

The parents of a foolish person have no joy.

²²A cheerful heart makes you healthy.

But a broken spirit dries you up.

²³Anyone who does wrong accepts favors in secret.

Then he turns what is right into wrong.

²⁴Anyone who understands what is right keeps wisdom in view.

But the eyes of a foolish person look everywhere else.

²⁵A foolish child makes his father sad

and his mother sorry.

²⁶It isn’t good to punish those who aren’t guilty.

It isn’t good to whip officials just because they are honest.

²⁷Anyone who has knowledge controls his words.

A man who has understanding is not easily upset.

²⁸We think even a foolish person is wise if he keeps silent.

We think he understands what is right if he controls his tongue.