Shared Word Translation
Proverbs 17
Better a Dry Morsel with Peace
Better is a dry morsel
with quiet
than a house full of feasting
with conflict.
A servant who acts wisely
will rule over a child who brings shame
and will share an inheritance
among the family.
The crucible is for silver
and the furnace for gold,
but the LORD
tests hearts.
An evildoer listens
to wicked lips,
and a liar pays attention
to a destructive tongue.
Whoever mocks the poor
insults their Maker,
and whoever rejoices at disaster
will not go unpunished.
Children’s children
are the crown of the aged,
and parents
are the glory of their children.
Fine speech
does not suit a fool,
much less lying lips
a noble person.
A gift is like a precious stone
in the eyes of its owner;
wherever it turns,
it seems to prosper.
Whoever covers an offense
seeks love,
but whoever repeats a matter
separates close friends.
A rebuke goes deeper
into a discerning person
than a hundred blows
into a fool.
Friendship and Conflict
An evil person seeks only rebellion,
so a cruel messenger
will be sent against them.
Better to meet a bear
robbed of her cubs
than a fool
in the midst of folly.
Whoever returns evil for good,
evil will not depart
from their house.
The beginning of conflict
is like releasing water;
so leave a quarrel
before it breaks out.
Whoever declares the wicked righteous
and whoever condemns the righteous—
both are an abomination
to the LORD.
Why should a fool have money in hand
to buy wisdom
when there is no heart
to understand?
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother or sister
is born for adversity.
One lacking sense
strikes hands
and becomes surety
before a neighbor.
Whoever loves transgression
loves conflict;
whoever makes their doorway high
seeks destruction.
One with a crooked heart
finds no good,
and one with a twisted tongue
falls into trouble.
A Joyful Heart
The one who fathers a fool
has sorrow,
and the parent of a senseless child
has no joy.
A joyful heart
is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit
dries the bones.
The wicked take a bribe in secret
to bend
the paths of justice.
Wisdom is before
the face of the discerning,
but the eyes of a fool
are at the ends of the earth.
A foolish child
is grief to a father
and bitterness
to the one who gave birth.
It is not good
to punish the righteous,
or to strike honorable people
for their uprightness.
One who restrains words
has knowledge,
and one of understanding
has a calm spirit.
Even a fool who keeps silent
is considered wise;
when they close their lips,
they are considered discerning.