Proverbs 17, side by side

¹Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.

¹Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

²A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

²A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

³A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

³The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

⁴A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

⁴A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

⁵He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

⁵Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.

⁶Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

⁷Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

⁷Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

⁸A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁸A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

⁹Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.

⁹He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

¹⁰A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

¹⁰A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹¹An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

¹²It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

¹²Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

¹³Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.

¹⁵He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

¹⁶Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

¹⁶Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁷A friend loveth 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.

¹⁸A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.

¹⁹He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

²⁰The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

²⁰He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

²¹A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.

²¹He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

²²A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

²²A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

²³A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.

²³A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

²⁴Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁴Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

²⁶It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.

²⁶Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

²⁷A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

²⁷He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

²⁸Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

²⁸Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.