Proverbs 17-18

17Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.
2A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully,
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
3The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.
4An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
5Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;
those who are glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their parents.
7Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a ruler.
8A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of those who give it;
wherever they turn they prosper.
9One who forgives an affront fosters friendship,
but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.
10A rebuke strikes deeper into a discerning person
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11Evil people seek only rebellion,
but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
12Better to meet a she-bear robbed of its cubs
than to confront a fool immersed in folly.
13Evil will not depart from the house
of one who returns evil for good.
14The beginning of strife is like letting out water;
so stop before the quarrel breaks out.
15One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16Why should fools have a price in hand
to buy wisdom, when they have no mind to learn?
17A friend loves at all times,
and kinsfolk are born to share adversity.
18It is senseless to give a pledge,
to become surety for a neighbor.
19One who loves transgression loves strife;
one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.
20The crooked of mind do not prosper,
and the perverse of tongue fall into calamity.
21The one who begets a fool gets trouble;
the parent of a fool has no joy.
22A cheerful heart is a good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
23The wicked accept a concealed bribe
to pervert the ways of justice.
24The discerning person looks to wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth.
25Foolish children are a grief to their father
and bitterness to her who bore them.
26To impose a fine on the innocent is not right,
or to flog the noble for their integrity.
27One who spares words is knowledgeable;
one who is cool in spirit has understanding.
28Even fools who keep silent are considered wise;
when they close their lips, they are deemed intelligent.
18The one who lives alone is self-indulgent,
showing contempt for all who have sound judgment.
2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing personal opinion.
3When wickedness comes, contempt comes also;
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4The words of the mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.
5It is not right to be partial to the guilty,
or to subvert the innocent in judgment.
6A fool’s lips bring strife,
and a fool’s mouth invites a flogging.
7The mouths of fools are their ruin,
and their lips a snare to themselves.
8The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
9One who is slack in work
is close kin to a vandal.
10The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous run into it and are safe.
11The wealth of the rich is their strong city;
in their imagination it is like a high wall.
12Before destruction one’s heart is haughty,
but humility goes before honor.
13If one gives answer before hearing,
it is folly and shame.
14The human spirit will endure sickness;
but a broken spirit—who can bear?
15An intelligent mind acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16A gift opens doors;
it gives access to the great.
17The one who first states a case seems right,
until the other comes and cross-examines.
18Casting the lot puts an end to disputes
and decides between powerful contenders.
19An ally offended is stronger than a city;
such quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20From the fruit of the mouth one’s stomach is satisfied;
the yield of the lips brings satisfaction.
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
and obtains favor from the Lord.
23The poor use entreaties,
but the rich answer roughly.
24Some friends play at friendship
but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.

From the oremus Bible Browser https://bible.oremus.org v2.9.2 30 June 2021.