Proverbs 17 - 18 — Legacy Standard Bible

17^aBetter is a dry morsel and tranquility with itThan a house full of ¹feasting with strife.²A slave who acts insightfully will rule over a son who acts shamefully,And will share in the inheritance among brothers.³The ^arefining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,But ^bYahweh tests hearts.⁴An ^aevildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness;¹A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.⁵He who mocks the ^apoor reproaches his Maker;He who is ^bglad at disaster will not go unpunished.⁶¹^,^aGrandchildren are the crown of old men,And the ^bbeauty of sons is their fathers.⁷^aExcellent lips are not fitting for a ¹wicked fool,Even less are ^blying lips for a noble man.⁸A ^abribe is a ¹charm in the eyes of its owner;Wherever he turns, he prospers.⁹He who ^acovers a transgression seeks love,But he who repeats a matter ^bseparates close companions.¹⁰A rebuke goes deeper into one who understandsThan a hundred blows into a fool.¹¹A rebellious man seeks only evil,So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.¹²Let a ^aman meet a ^bbear robbed of her cubs,Rather than a fool in his folly.¹³He who ^areturns evil for good,^bEvil will not depart from his house.¹⁴The beginning of strife is like letting out water,So ^aabandon the dispute before it breaks out.¹⁵He who ^ajustifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,Both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.¹⁶Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to ^aacquire wisdom,When ¹he has no heart of wisdom?¹⁷A ^afriend loves at all times,And a brother is born for adversity.¹⁸A man lacking a heart of wisdom ^astrikes his ¹hands in pledgeAnd becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.¹⁹He who ^aloves transgression loves quarreling;He who ^bmakes his doorway high seeks destruction.²⁰He who has a crooked heart ^afinds no good,And he who is ^bperverted in his tongue falls into evil.²¹He who ^abegets a fool does so to his grief,And the father of a wicked fool is not glad.²²A ^aglad heart ¹is good medicine,But a broken spirit ^bdries up the bones.²³A wicked man receives a ^abribe from the bosomTo ^bthrust aside the paths of justice.²⁴Wisdom is in the presence of the one who understands,But the ^aeyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.²⁵A ^afoolish son is a vexation to his fatherAnd ^bbitterness to her who gave birth to him.²⁶It is also not good to ^apunish the righteous,Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.²⁷He who ^aholds back his words ¹has knowledge,And he who has a ^bcool spirit is a man of discernment.²⁸Even an ignorant fool, when he ^akeeps silent, is considered wise;When he closes his lips, he is considered understanding.18He who separates himself seeks his own desire,He ^abreaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.²A fool does not delight in discernment,But only ^ain revealing his own heart.³When a wicked man comes, despising also comes,And with disgrace comes reproach.⁴The words of a man’s mouth are ^adeep waters;¹The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.⁵To ^ashow partiality to the wicked is not good,Nor to ^bthrust aside the righteous in judgment.⁶A fool’s lips come with strife,And his mouth calls for ^abeatings.⁷A ^afool’s mouth is his ruin,And his lips are the snare of his soul.⁸The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,And they go down into the ¹innermost parts of the stomach.⁹He also who is ^aslack in his work^bIs brother to him who destroys.¹⁰The ^aname of Yahweh is a ^bstrong tower;The righteous runs into it and is ^cset securely on high.¹¹A ^arich man’s wealth is his strong city,And like a high wall in his own delusion.¹²^aBefore destruction the heart of man is haughty,But ^bhumility goes before glory.¹³He who ^aresponds with a word before he hears,It is folly and shame to him.¹⁴The ^aspirit of a man can endure his sickness,But as for a ^bbroken spirit, who can bear it?¹⁵The ^aheart of the understanding acquires knowledge,And the ^bear of the wise seeks knowledge.¹⁶A man’s ^agift makes room for himAnd leads him into the presence of great men.¹⁷The first ¹to plead his case seems right,Until ²another comes and examines him.¹⁸The cast ^alot puts an end to contentionsAnd ¹decides between the mighty ones.¹⁹A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city,And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.²⁰From the ¹^,^afruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;^bWith the produce of his lips he will be satisfied.²¹^aDeath and life are in the ¹power of the tongue,And those who love it will eat its ^bfruit.²²He who finds a ^awife finds a good thingAnd ^bobtains favor from Yahweh.²³The ^apoor man speaks supplications,But the ^brich man ^canswers with strong words.²⁴A man of too many friends comes to ¹ruin,But there is ^aa ²friend who sticks closer than a brother.