17:1  Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.

17:2  A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son,
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

17:3  The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the LORD tests the heart.

17:4  A wicked man listens to evil lips;
a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

17:5  He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;
whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

17:6  Children's children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.

17:7  Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

17:8  A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.

17:9  He who covers over an offense promotes love,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

17:10  A rebuke impresses a man of discernment
more than a hundred lashes a fool.

17:11  An evil man is bent only on rebellion;
a merciless official will be sent against him.

17:12  Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool in his folly.

17:13  If a man pays back evil for good,
evil will never leave his house.

17:14  Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

17:15  Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
the LORD detests them both.

17:16  Of what use is money in the hand of a fool,
since he has no desire to get wisdom?

17:17  A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.

17:18  A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge
and puts up security for his neighbor.

17:19  He who loves a quarrel loves sin;
he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

17:20  A man of perverse heart does not prosper;
he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

17:21  To have a fool for a son brings grief;
there is no joy for the father of a fool.

17:22  A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

17:23  A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret
to pervert the course of justice.

17:24  A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

17:25  A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.

17:26  It is not good to punish an innocent man,
or to flog officials for their integrity.

17:27  A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

17:28  Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue.