| Chapter 17 |
1 | Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, Than a house full of feasting with strife.
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2 | A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, And shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren.
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3 | The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; But Jehovah trieth the hearts.
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4 | An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; [And] a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.
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5 | Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker; [And] he that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
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6 | Children's children are the crown of old men; And the glory of children are their fathers.
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7 | Excellent speech becometh not a fool; Much less do lying lips a prince.
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8 | A bribe is [as] a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
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9 | He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; But he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends.
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10 | A rebuke entereth deeper into one that hath understanding Than a hundred stripes into a fool.
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11 | An evil man seeketh only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
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12 | Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, Rather than a fool in his folly.
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13 | Whoso rewardeth evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.
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14 | The beginning of strife is [as] when one letteth out water: Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.
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15 | He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
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16 | Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, Seeing he hath no understanding?
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17 | A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.
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18 | A man void of understanding striketh hands, And becometh surety in the presence of his neighbor.
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19 | He loveth transgression that loveth strife: He that raiseth high his gate seeketh destruction.
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20 | He that hath a wayward heart findeth no good; And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
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21 | He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.
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22 | A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.
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23 | A wicked man receiveth a bribe out of the bosom, To pervert the ways of justice.
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24 | Wisdom is before the face of him that hath understanding; But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
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25 | A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her that bare him.
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26 | Also to punish the righteous is not good, [Nor] to smite the noble for [their] uprightness.
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27 | He that spareth his words hath knowledge; And he that is of a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
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28 | Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; When he shutteth his lips, he is [esteemed as] prudent.
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