Proverbs 17 · Clearspring

Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness

¹Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.+ ²A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.+ ³A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.+ ⁴A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.+ ⁵He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.+ ⁶Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.+ ⁷Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!+ ⁸A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.+ ⁹Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.+ ¹⁰A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.+ ¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.+ ¹²It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.+ ¹³If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.+ ¹⁴To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.+ ¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.+ ¹⁶Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?+ ¹⁷A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.+ ¹⁸A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.+ ¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.+ ²⁰The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.+ ²¹A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.+ ²²A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.+ ²³A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.+ ²⁴Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.+ ²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.+ ²⁶It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.+ ²⁷A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.+ ²⁸Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.+

Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness

Study Proverbs 17