Proverbs 17

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.