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