Proverbs 17
New Life Version
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 Lord tests hearts.
4 A wrong-doer listens to sinful lips. A liar listens to a tongue that destroys.
5 He who laughs at the poor brings shame to his Maker. He who is glad at trouble will be punished.
6 Grandchildren are the pride and joy of old men and a son is proud of his father.
7 Fine speaking is not right for a fool. Even worse are lying lips to a ruler.
8 Being paid in secret for wrong-doing is like a stone of much worth to the one who has it. Wherever he turns, he does well.
9 He who covers a sin looks for love. He who tells of trouble separates good friends.
10 A man of understanding learns more from being told the right thing to do than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.
11 A man who will not obey looks only for what is bad. So one who has no loving-pity will be sent against him.
12 A man meeting a bear robbed of her little ones is better than meeting a fool in his foolish way.
13 If a man returns bad for good, trouble will not leave his house.
14 The beginning of trouble is like letting out water. So stop arguing before fighting breaks out.
15 He who says that the sinful are right, and he who says those who do right are wrong, both are hated by the Lord.
16 It does a fool no good to try to buy wisdom, when he has no understanding.
17 A friend loves at all times. A brother is born to share troubles.
18 A man without good thinking makes promises, and becomes a trust for what another man owes his neighbor.
19 He who loves sin loves making trouble. He who opens his door wide for trouble is looking for a way to be destroyed.
20 He who has a sinful heart finds no good. He who has a sinful tongue falls into sin.
21 A foolish son is a sorrow to his father, and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A glad heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 A sinful man receives pay in secret to change the right way into wrong-doing.
24 Wisdom is with the one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a sorrow to his father, and trouble to her who gave birth to him.
26 It is not good to punish those who are right with God, and it is wrong to beat men of honor for being faithful.
27 He who is careful in what he says has much learning, and he who has a quiet spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool, when he keeps quiet, is thought to be wise. When he closes his lips, he is thought of as a man of understanding.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.