Proverbs 17

All 28 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1Better is a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of sacrifices with strife.
2. 2A wise servant will rule over a son who brings shame and will share in the inheritance among the brothers.
3. 3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests hearts.
4. 4An evildoer listens to false lips, and a liar pays attention to a deceitful tongue.
5. 5Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker, and whoever is happy about disasters will not go unpunished.
6. 6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their fathers.
7. 7Excellent speech is not suitable for a fool; even less so are lying lips for a prince.
8. 8A gift is like a precious stone to the one who possesses it; wherever it turns, it brings success.
9. 9Whoever covers a transgression seeks love, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.
10. 10A wise person takes a rebuke to heart more than a fool does a hundred lashes.
11. 11An evil person seeks only rebellion; therefore, a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12. 12Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
13. 13Whoever rewards evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.
14. 14The start of strife is like releasing water, so stop the argument before it escalates.
15. 15He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the just — they both are an abomination to the LORD.
16. 16Why does a fool have money to buy wisdom when he has no heart for it?
17. 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18. 18A person lacking understanding shakes hands and becomes a guarantor in the presence of his friend.
19. 19Whoever loves strife loves transgression, and whoever exalts his gate seeks destruction.
20. 20A person with a twisted heart finds no good, and one with a perverse tongue falls into trouble.
21. 21A man who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.
22. 22A cheerful heart is good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23. 23A wicked man takes a gift from under his cloak to pervert the ways of judgment.
24. 24Wisdom is before the one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25. 25A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.
26. 26Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.
27. 27A person with knowledge uses words sparingly, and someone with understanding has an excellent spirit.
28. 28Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, and a person who closes his lips is thought to have understanding.