1 Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife. r
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.
3 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, s
and the LORD is the tester of hearts. t
4 A wicked person listens to malicious talk; N
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, u
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished. v
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of children is their fathers.
7 Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.
8 A bribe w seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds. x
9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, y
but whoever gossips about it separates friends. z
10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.
11 An evil person desires only rebellion;
a cruel messenger O,a will be sent against him.
12 Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs b
than a fool in his foolishness.
13 If anyone returns evil for good, c
evil will never depart from his house. d
14 To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out. e
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just f—
both are detestable to the LORD.
16 Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom? g
17 A friend loves at all times, h
and a brother is born for a difficult time.
18 One without sense enters an agreement P
and puts up security for his friend. i
19 One who loves to offend loves strife; j
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.
20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin. k
21 A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy. l
22 A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones. m
23 A wicked person secretly takes a bribe n
to subvert the course of justice. o
24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes p roam to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him. q
26 It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty. Q,r
27 The one who has knowledge restrains his words, s
and one who keeps a cool head R
is a person of understanding.
28 Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—
discerning, when he seals his lips. t