Proverbs 17 - English Standard Version (ESV)

17 (A)Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting[a] with strife.
2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over (B)a son who acts shamefully
and (C)will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 (D)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
(E)and the Lord tests hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor (F)insults his Maker;
he who is (G)glad at calamity will not go (H)unpunished.
6 (I)Grandchildren are (J)the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
7 Fine speech is not (K)becoming to a fool;
still less is (L)false speech to a prince.
8 (M)A bribe is like a magic[b] stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9 Whoever (N)covers an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter (O)separates close friends.
10 A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and (P)a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet (Q)a she-bear robbed of her cubs
(R)rather than a fool in his folly.
13 If anyone (S)returns evil for good,
(T)evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so (U)quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 He who (V)justifies the wicked and he who (W)condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have money in his hand (X)to buy wisdom
when he has no sense?
17 (Y)A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
18 One who lacks sense gives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who (Z)makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 (AA)A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 He who (AB)sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 (AC)A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit (AD)dries up the bones.
23 The wicked accepts (AE)a bribe in secret[c]
to (AF)pervert the ways of justice.
24 (AG)The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 (AH)A foolish son is a grief to his father
(AI)and bitterness to (AJ)her who bore him.
26 (AK)To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 Whoever (AL)restrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool (AM)who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:1 Hebrew sacrifices
  2. Proverbs 17:8 Or precious
  3. Proverbs 17:23 Hebrew a bribe from the bosom

Cross references

  1. Proverbs 17:1 : ch. 15:17
  2. Proverbs 17:2 : ver. 21, 25; ch. 10:5; 19:26
  3. Proverbs 17:2 : [2 Sam. 16:4]
  4. Proverbs 17:3 : ch. 27:21
  5. Proverbs 17:3 : 1 Chr. 29:17; Ps. 26:2; Jer. 17:10; Mal. 3:3
  6. Proverbs 17:5 : ch. 14:31; [Matt. 25:40, 45]
  7. Proverbs 17:5 : Job 31:29; Obad. 12; [ch. 24:17]
  8. Proverbs 17:5 : ch. 16:5
  9. Proverbs 17:6 : Ps. 128:6; [Ps. 127:3, 4]
  10. Proverbs 17:6 : ch. 16:31
  11. Proverbs 17:7 : [ch. 19:10; 26:1]
  12. Proverbs 17:7 : ch. 6:17
  13. Proverbs 17:8 : ver. 23; ch. 18:16; 19:6; 21:14; [Ex. 23:8; Isa. 1:23; Amos 5:12]
  14. Proverbs 17:9 : ch. 10:12
  15. Proverbs 17:9 : ch. 16:28
  16. Proverbs 17:11 : [1 Kgs. 2:29]
  17. Proverbs 17:12 : 2 Sam. 17:8; Hos. 13:8
  18. Proverbs 17:12 : [ch. 27:3]
  19. Proverbs 17:13 : Ps. 35:12; 109:4, 5; [ch. 20:22; Matt. 5:39]
  20. Proverbs 17:13 : [2 Sam. 12:10]
  21. Proverbs 17:14 : ch. 20:3; 25:8
  22. Proverbs 17:15 : ch. 24:24; Ex. 23:7; Isa. 5:23
  23. Proverbs 17:15 : Job 34:17; Ps. 94:21; [ver. 26; ch. 18:5]
  24. Proverbs 17:16 : [ch. 23:23]
  25. Proverbs 17:17 : ch. 18:24; 27:10; [Ruth 1:16; Job 6:14]
  26. Proverbs 17:19 : [ch. 11:2; 29:23]
  27. Proverbs 17:20 : [ch. 11:20]
  28. Proverbs 17:21 : ch. 10:1; 19:13
  29. Proverbs 17:22 : See ch. 15:13
  30. Proverbs 17:22 : Ps. 22:15; [ch. 12:25]
  31. Proverbs 17:23 : See ver. 8
  32. Proverbs 17:23 : [Mic. 3:11; 7:3]
  33. Proverbs 17:24 : [ch. 14:6; 15:14; Eccles. 2:14]; See Deut. 30:11-14
  34. Proverbs 17:25 : [See ver. 21 above]; ch. 10:1; 19:13
  35. Proverbs 17:25 : ch. 10:1
  36. Proverbs 17:25 : ch. 23:25
  37. Proverbs 17:26 : [ver. 15]
  38. Proverbs 17:27 : ch. 10:19; [James 1:19]
  39. Proverbs 17:28 : Job 13:5

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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)

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Proverbs 17 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

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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)

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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 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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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)

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