More Advice for a Son
17 Better a piece of dry bread with peace
than a house full of feasting with quarreling.
2 A wise slave will rule over a shameful son.
He will share the inheritance with the brothers.
3 There is a crucible for refining silver and a smelter for gold.
In the same way the Lord examines hearts.
4 An evildoer pays attention to wicked lips.
A liar feeds upon[a] a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks a poor person insults his Maker.
A person who rejoices over calamity will not escape.
6 Grandchildren are a crown for the elderly,
and parents are a source of pride for their children.
Introduction to Fools and Foolishness:
The Consequences of Being a Fool
7 Eloquent lips are[b] not fitting for a fool.
How much less lying lips for a ruler!
8 A bribe works like a charm for the person who gives it.
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
9 A person who covers an offense pursues love,
but one who repeats the matter separates friends.
10 A reprimand impresses a discerning person
more than receiving a hundred lashes impresses a fool.
11 An evil person promotes only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a fool in his stupidity.
13 A person who repays evil for good—
evil will never leave his house.
14 Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,
so stop the dispute before it gets started.
15 Acquitting a guilty person
and convicting an innocent person—
both of these are disgusting[c] to the Lord.
16 Why hand a fool money to buy wisdom,
since he has no aptitude for using it?
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of trouble.
18 A person without sense shakes hands
to guarantee a loan for his neighbor.
19 A person who loves sin loves conflict.
A person who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 A crooked mind does not find good.
A perverted tongue will fall into disaster.
21 The man who fathers a fool has grief,
and the father of an arrogant fool will have no joy.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked person secretly accepts a bribe
to pervert the ways of justice.
24 Wisdom is right in front of a discerning person,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the end of the earth.
Avoiding Fools and Foolishness
25 A foolish son is an aggravation to his father
and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
26 It is not good to impose a fine on a righteous person
nor to flog officials because of their uprightness.
27 A person with knowledge restrains his words.
A person with understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even a stubborn fool who keeps silent will be considered wise.
He is considered to be perceptive if he keeps his lips shut.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:4 Hebrew variant listens to
- Proverbs 17:7 Or excessive chatter is
- Proverbs 17:15 Or repulsive