Proverbs 17 :: Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and share an inheritance among brothers.

A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,

and the LORD is the tester of hearts.

A wicked person listens to malicious talk;[fn]

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,

and one who rejoices over calamity

will not go unpunished.

Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,

and the pride of children is their fathers.

Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;

how much worse are lies for a ruler.

A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,

but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person

more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

An evil person desires only rebellion;

a cruel messenger[fn] will be sent against him.

Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool in his foolishness.

If anyone returns evil for good,

evil will never depart from his house.

To start a conflict is to release a flood;

stop the dispute before it breaks out.

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just —

both are detestable to the LORD.

Why does a fool have money in his hand

with no intention of buying wisdom?

A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for a difficult time.

One without sense enters an agreement[fn]

and puts up security for his friend.

One who loves to offend loves strife;

one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

One with a twisted mind will not succeed,

and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.

A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;

the father of a fool has no joy.

A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

A wicked person secretly takes a bribe

to subvert the course of justice.

Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,

but a fool’s eyes roam to the ends of the earth.

A foolish son is grief to his father

and bitterness to the one who bore him.

It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person

or to beat a noble for his honesty.[fn]

The one who has knowledge restrains his words,

and one who keeps a cool head[fn]

is a person of understanding.

Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent ​—

discerning, when he seals his lips.