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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Proverbs 17 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/proverbs/17.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" 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href="../proverbs/16.htm" title="Proverbs 16">◄</a> Proverbs 17 <a href="../proverbs/18.htm" title="Proverbs 18">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/proverbs/17.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Better is a dry morsel with quiet</span><br /><span class="indent">than a house full of feasting<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Hebrew sacrifices">a</a></sup></span> with strife.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully</span><br /><span class="indent">and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,</span><br /><span class="indent">and the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> tests hearts.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">An evildoer listens to wicked lips,</span><br /><span class="indent">and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;</span><br /><span class="indent">he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,</span><br /><span class="indent">and the glory of children is their fathers.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;</span><br /><span class="indent">still less is false speech to a prince.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">A bribe is like a magic<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or precious">b</a></sup></span> stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;</span><br /><span class="indent">wherever he turns he prospers.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Whoever covers an offense seeks love,</span><br /><span class="indent">but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding</span><br /><span class="indent">than a hundred blows into a fool.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">An evil man seeks only rebellion,</span><br /><span class="indent">and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs</span><br /><span class="indent">rather than a fool in his folly.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">If anyone returns evil for good,</span><br /><span class="indent">evil will not depart from his house.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">The beginning of strife is like letting out water,</span><br /><span class="indent">so quit before the quarrel breaks out.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous</span><br /><span class="indent">are both alike an abomination to the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom</span><br /><span class="indent">when he has no sense?</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">A friend loves at all times,</span><br /><span class="indent">and a brother is born for adversity.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">One who lacks sense gives a pledge</span><br /><span class="indent">and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Whoever loves transgression loves strife;</span><br /><span class="indent">he who makes his door high seeks destruction.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">A man of crooked heart does not discover good,</span><br /><span class="indent">and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,</span><br /><span class="indent">and the father of a fool has no joy.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">A joyful heart is good medicine,</span><br /><span class="indent">but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">The wicked accepts a bribe in secret<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Hebrew a bribe from the bosom">c</a></sup></span></span><br /><span class="indent">to pervert the ways of justice.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,</span><br /><span class="indent">but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">A foolish son is a grief to his father</span><br /><span class="indent">and bitterness to her who bore him.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,</span><br /><span class="indent">nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,</span><br /><span class="indent">and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.</span><br /> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span><span class="ln-group">Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;</span><br /><span class="indent">when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.</span><br /><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">1</span> Hebrew <i>sacrifices</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">8</span> Or <i>precious</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">23</span> Hebrew <i><span class="catch-word">a bribe</span> from the bosom</i><br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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