Proverbs

¹ Better a dry morsel in quietness

than a house full of feasting ^[a] with strife.

² A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

³ A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold,

but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

⁴ A wicked man listens to evil lips;

a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

⁵ He who mocks the poor insults their Maker;

whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

⁶ Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of a son is his father.

⁷ Eloquent words are unfit for a fool;

how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

⁸ A bribe is a charm to its giver;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁹ Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,

but he who brings it up separates friends.

¹⁰ A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment

deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion;

a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹² It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool in his folly.

¹³ If anyone returns evil for good,

evil will never leave his house.

¹⁴ To start a quarrel is to release a flood;

so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—

both are detestable to the LORD.

¹⁶ Why should the fool have money in his hand

with no intention of buying wisdom?

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸ A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge

and puts up security for his neighbor.

¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife;

he who builds his gate high invites destruction.

²⁰ The one with a perverse heart finds no good,

and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

²¹ A man fathers a fool to his own grief;

the father of a fool has no joy.

²² A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

²³ A wicked man takes a covert bribe ^[b]

to subvert the course of justice.

²⁴ Wisdom is the focus of the discerning,

but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶ It is surely not good to punish the innocent

or to flog a noble for his honesty.

²⁷ A man of knowledge restrains his words,

and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

²⁸ Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning when he holds his tongue.