Proverbs 17 — ULB

17Verse 1It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread
than a house full of feasting with strife.
^{Verse 2}A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
^{Verse 3}The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
but Yahweh refines hearts.
^{Verse 4}The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips;
a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
^{Verse 5}Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker
and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.
^{Verse 6}Grandchildren are the crown of the aged
and parents bring honor to their children.
^{Verse 7}Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool;
much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.
^{Verse 8}A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.
^{Verse 9}Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love,
but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.
^{Verse 10}A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding
than a hundred blows go into a fool.
^{Verse 11}An evil person only seeks rebellion,
so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
^{Verse 12}It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to meet a fool in his foolishness.
^{Verse 13}When someone returns evil for good,
evil will never leave his house.
^{Verse 14}The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere,
so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.
^{Verse 15}The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person—
both are an abomination to Yahweh.
^{Verse 16}Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom,
when he has no ability to learn it?
^{Verse 17}A friend is loving at all times
and a brother is born for times of trouble.
^{Verse 18}A man having no sense makes binding promises
and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.
^{Verse 19}Whoever loves conflict loves sin;
the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.
^{Verse 20}A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good;
the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
^{Verse 21}Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself;
and the father of a fool has no joy.
^{Verse 22}A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
^{Verse 23}A wicked man accepts a secret bribe
to pervert the ways of justice.
^{Verse 24}The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.
^{Verse 25}A foolish son is a grief to his father
and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
^{Verse 26}Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person;
neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.
^{Verse 27}One who has knowledge uses few words
and one with understanding is even-tempered.
^{Verse 28}Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent;
when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.