Proverbs 17 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

17 Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife.(A)

2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.

3 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,(B)
and the Lord is the tester of hearts.(C)

4 A wicked person listens to malicious talk;[a]
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

5 The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,(D)
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.(E)

6 Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of children is their fathers.

7 Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.

8 A bribe(F) seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.(G)

9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,(H)
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.(I)

10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

11 An evil person desires only rebellion;
a cruel messenger[b](J) will be sent against him.

12 Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs(K)
than a fool in his foolishness.

13 If anyone returns evil for good,(L)
evil will never depart from his house.(M)

14 To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.(N)

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just(O)
both are detestable to the Lord.

16 Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?(P)

17 A friend loves at all times,(Q)
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

18 One without sense enters an agreement[c]
and puts up security for his friend.(R)

19 One who loves to offend loves strife;(S)
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.(T)

21 A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.(U)

22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.(V)

23 A wicked person secretly takes a bribe(W)
to subvert the course of justice.(X)

24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes(Y) roam to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.(Z)

26 It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.[d](AA)

27 The one who has knowledge restrains his words,(AB)
and one who keeps a cool head[e]
is a person of understanding.

28 Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—
discerning, when he seals his lips.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. 17:4 Lit to lips of iniquity
  2. 17:11 Or a merciless angel
  3. 17:18 Lit sense slaps hands
  4. 17:26 Or noble unfairly
  5. 17:27 Lit spirit

Cross references

  1. 17:1 : Pr 15:17; 21:9,19; 25:24
  2. 17:3 : Pr 27:21
  3. 17:3 : 1Ch 29:17; Ps 26:2; Pr 16:2; 21:2; Is 48:10; Jr 17:10; Mal 3:3
  4. 17:5 : Pr 14:31; 21:13
  5. 17:5 : Jb 31:29; Pr 24:17; Lm 1:21–22; Ezk 25:6–7; 35:15; Ob 12
  6. 17:8 : Ex 23:8; Is 1:23; Am 5:12
  7. 17:8 : Pr 18:16; 19:6; 21:14
  8. 17:9 : Pr 10:12; Jms 5:20; 1Pt 4:8
  9. 17:9 : Lv 19:16; Pr 11:13; 16:28
  10. 17:11 : Ps 78:49
  11. 17:12 : 2Sm 17:8; Hs 13:8
  12. 17:13 : Ps 35:12; 109:5
  13. 17:13 : 2Sm 12:10
  14. 17:14 : Pr 20:3; 25:8
  15. 17:15 : Ex 23:7; Pr 17:26; 18:5; 24:23–24; Is 5:23
  16. 17:16 : Pr 4:5,7; 18:15; 23:23
  17. 17:17 : Ru 1:16; Pr 18:24; 27:10
  18. 17:18 : Pr 6:1–5; 11:15; 22:26
  19. 17:19 : Pr 29:22
  20. 17:20 : Jr 23:36
  21. 17:21 : Pr 10:1; 17:25; 19:13; 23:24–25
  22. 17:22 : Ps 22:15; Pr 14:30; 15:13; 18:14
  23. 17:23 : Pr 17:8
  24. 17:23 : Dt 16:19; Ps 15:5; Pr 18:5; Mc 3:11; 7:3
  25. 17:24 : Ec 2:14
  26. 17:25 : Pr 10:1; 17:21; 19:13
  27. 17:26 : Pr 17:15; 18:5; 24:23–24
  28. 17:27 : Pr 10:19; Jms 1:19; 3:2
  29. 17:28 : Jb 13:5; Pr 10:19

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17 Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife. 2 A wise servant ruleth over a son causing shame, And in the midst of brethren He apportioneth an inheritance. 3 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] Jehovah....
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Proverbs 17 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

17 Better is a dry morsel with joy, than an house full of sacrifices with chiding, (or with arguments). 2 A wise servant shall be lord of fond sons; and he shall part heritage among brethren. (A wise servant shall be lord over his master’s foolish sons and daughters; and in time he shall have part o...
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Proverbs 17 - World English Bible (WEB)

17 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but Yahweh tests the hearts....
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Proverbs 17 - The Voice (VOICE)

17 Better to gnaw on a bit of dry crust in peace than to feast in a house full of stress.2 A wise servant will be put in charge of a child who behaves badly and will take a share of the inheritance like one of the family.3 Silver is purified in the crucible, gold in the furnace, but motives of the h...
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Proverbs 17 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Beware Bribes and Rebellion17 Better is dry crust with peace and quietthan a house full of feasting with strife. 2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful sonand will share the inheritance with the brothers. 3 A crucible is for silverand a furnace is for gold,but Adonai tests the heart. 4 An evi...
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Proverbs 17 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

17 Better is a dry morsel with quietthan a house full of feasting with strife.2 A slave who deals wisely 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, and the Lord tries hearts.4 An evildoer ...
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Proverbs 17 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

17 Better is a dry morsel with quietthan a house full of feasting with strife.2 A slave who deals wisely 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, and the Lord tries hearts.4 An evildoer ...
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Proverbs 17 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

17 Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.2 A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully, and will share the inheritance as one of the family.3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.4 An evild...
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Proverbs 17 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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Proverbs 17 - New Living Translation (NLT)

17 Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict. 2 A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master’s children. 3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart. 4 Wrongdoers eagerly li...
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Proverbs 17 - New Life Version (NLV)

17 A dry piece of food with peace and quiet is better than a house full of food with fighting. 2 A servant who is wise in what he does will rule over a son who acts in shame. He will share in what is given as one of the brothers. 3 The melting-pot is for silver and the hot fire is for gold, but the ...
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Proverbs 17 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lord Tests Hearts17 Better is (A)a dry morsel with quietness,Than a house full of [a]feasting with strife. 2 A wise servant will rule over (B)a son who causes shame,And will share an inheritance among the brothers. 3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,(C)But the Lord tests t...
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Proverbs 17 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. 2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the family. 3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. 4 A wicked person listen...
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Proverbs 17 - New International Version (NIV)

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Proverbs 17 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

17 It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace and quiet than to eat a big dinner in a house full of fighting. 2 A wise servant will rule over a shameful child. He will be given part of the property as if he were a family member. 3 Fire tests silver, and heat tests gold. But the Lord tests our...
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Proverbs 17 - New English Translation (NET)

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