Proverbs - Chapter 17 | New King James Version

  • 1. Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting {cf2super [31]} with strife.
  • 2. A wise servant will rule over 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, But the Lord tests the hearts.
  • 4. An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.
  • 5. He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
  • 6. Children's children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.
  • 7. Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince.
  • 8. A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers.
  • 9. He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
  • 10. Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool.
  • 11. An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
  • 12. Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.
  • 13. Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.
  • 14. The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.
  • 15. He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
  • 16. Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it?
  • 17. A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
  • 18. A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend.
  • 19. He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.
  • 20. He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.
  • 21. He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.
  • 22. A merry heart does good, like medicine, {cf2super [32]} But a broken spirit dries the bones.
  • 23. A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back {cf2super [33]} To pervert the ways of justice.
  • 24. Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
  • 25. A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him.
  • 26. Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.
  • 27. He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
  • 28. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.
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