July 21

Proverbs 17:1 — 20:30

17 Better is a dry piece of bread with which there is quietness than a house full of the sacrifices of quarreling.
      2 A servant that is showing insight will rule over the son who is acting shamefully, and in among the brothers he will have a share of the inheritance.
      3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but Jehovah is the examiner of hearts.
      4 The evildoer is paying attention to the lip of hurtfulness. A falsifier is giving ear to the tongue causing adversities.
      5 He that is holding the one of little means in derision has reproached his Maker. He that is joyful at [another’s] disaster will not be free from punishment.
      6 The crown of old men is the grandsons, and the beauty of sons is their fathers.
      7 For anyone senseless the lip of uprightness is not fitting. How much less so for a noble the lip of falsehood!
      8 The gift is a stone winning favor in the eyes of its grand owner. Everywhere that he turns he has success.
      9 The one covering over transgression is seeking love, and he that keeps talking about a matter is separating those familiar with one another.
      10 A rebuke works deeper in one having understanding than striking a stupid one a hundred times.
      11 Only rebellion is what the bad one keeps seeking, and cruel is the messenger that is sent against him.
      12 Let there be an encountering by a man of a bear bereaved of its cubs rather than anyone stupid in his foolishness.
      13 As for anyone repaying bad for good, bad will not move away from his house.
      14 The beginning of contention is as one letting out waters; so before the quarrel has burst forth, take your leave.
      15 Anyone pronouncing the wicked one righteous and anyone pronouncing the righteous one wicked—even both of them are something detestable to Jehovah.
      16 Why is it that there is in the hand of a stupid one the price to acquire wisdom, when he has no heart?
      17 A true companion is loving all the time, and is a brother that is born for when there is distress.
      18 A man that is wanting in heart shakes hands, going full surety before his companion.
      19 Anyone loving transgression is loving a struggle. Anyone making his entryway high is seeking a crash.
      20 He that is crooked at heart will not find good, and he that is turned around in his tongue will fall into calamity.
      21 Anyone becoming father to a stupid child—it is a grief to him; and the father of a senseless child does not rejoice.
      22 A heart that is joyful does good as a curer, but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry.
      23 One who is wicked will take even a bribe from the bosom to bend the paths of judgment.
      24 Wisdom is before the face of the understanding one, but the eyes of the stupid one are at the extremity of the earth.
      25 A stupid son is a vexation to his father and a bitterness to her that gave him birth.
      26 Furthermore, the laying of a fine upon the righteous one is not good. To strike nobles is against what is upright.
      27 Anyone holding back his sayings is possessed of knowledge, and a man of discernment is cool of spirit.
      28 Even anyone foolish, when keeping silent, will be regarded as wise; anyone closing up his own lips, as having understanding.

18 One isolating himself will seek [his own] selfish longing; against all practical wisdom he will break forth.
      2 Anyone stupid finds no delight in discernment, except that his heart should uncover itself.
      3 When a wicked one comes in, contempt also must come in; and along with dishonor there is reproach.
      4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters. The well of wisdom is a torrent bubbling forth.
      5 The showing of partiality to the wicked one is not good, nor the turning aside of the righteous one in judgment.
      6 The lips of one who is stupid enter into quarreling, and his very mouth calls even for strokes.
      7 The mouth of the stupid one is the ruin of him, and his lips are a snare for his soul.
      8 The words of the slanderer are like things to be swallowed greedily, which do go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
      9 Also, the one showing himself slack in his work—he is a brother to the one causing ruin.
      10 The name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous runs and is given protection.
      11 The valuable things of the rich are his strong town, and they are like a protective wall in his imagination.
      12 Before a crash the heart of a man is lofty, and before glory there is humility.
      13 When anyone is replying to a matter before he hears [it], that is foolishness on his part and a humiliation.
      14 The spirit of a man can put up with his malady; but as for a stricken spirit, who can bear it?
      15 The heart of the understanding one acquires knowledge, and the ear of wise ones seeks to find knowledge.
      16 A man’s gift will make a large opening for him, and it will lead him even before great people.
      17 The one first in his legal case is righteous; his fellow comes in and certainly searches him through.
      18 The lot puts even contentions to rest, and it separates even the mighty from one another.
      19 A brother who is transgressed against is more than a strong town; and there are contentions that are like the bar of a dwelling tower.
      20 From the fruitage of a man’s mouth his belly will be satisfied; he will be satisfied even with the produce of his lips.
      21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and he that is loving it will eat its fruitage.
      22 Has one found a [good] wife? One has found a good thing, and one gets goodwill from Jehovah.
      23 Entreaties the one of little means speaks out, but one that is rich answers in a strong way.
      24 There exist companions disposed to break one another to pieces, but there exists a friend sticking closer than a brother.


19 Anyone of little means who is walking in his integrity is better than the one crooked in his lips, and the one that is stupid.
      2 Also, that the soul should be without knowledge is not good, and he that is hastening with his feet is sinning.
      3 It is the foolishness of an earthling man that distorts his way, and so his heart becomes enraged against Jehovah himself.
      4 Wealth is what adds many companions, but one that is lowly gets separated even from his companion.
      5 A false witness will not be free from punishment, and he that launches forth lies will not escape.
      6 Many are those who soften the face of a noble, and everybody is a companion to the man making gifts.
      7 The brothers of one of little means have all hated him. How much farther have his personal friends kept away from him! He is pursuing with things to say; they are not.
      8 He that is acquiring heart is loving his own soul. He that is guarding discernment is going to find good.
      9 The false witness will not be free from punishment, and he that launches forth lies will perish.
      10 Luxury is not fitting for anyone stupid. How much less for a servant to rule over princes!
      11 The insight of a man certainly slows down his anger, and it is beauty on his part to pass over transgression.
      12 The raging of a king is a growling like that of a maned young lion, but his goodwill is like the dew upon the vegetation.
      13 A stupid son means adversities to his father, and the contentions of a wife are as a leaking roof that drives one away.
      14 The inheritance from fathers is a house and wealth, but a discreet wife is from Jehovah.
      15 Laziness causes a deep sleep to fall, and a slack soul goes hungry.
      16 He that is keeping the commandment is keeping his soul; he that is despising his ways will be put to death.
      17 He that is showing favor to the lowly one is lending to Jehovah, and his treatment He will repay to him.
      18 Chastise your son while there exists hope; and to the putting of him to death do not lift up your soul[ful desire].
      19 He that is of great rage will be bearing the fine; for if you would deliver [him], you will also keep doing it again and again.
      20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, in order that you may become wise in your future.
      21 Many are the plans in the heart of a man, but the counsel of Jehovah is what will stand.
      22 The desirable thing in earthling man is his loving-kindness; and one of little means is better than a lying man.
      23 The fear of Jehovah tends toward life, and one will spend the night satisfied; one will not be visited with what is bad.
      24 The lazy one has hidden his hand in the banquet bowl; he cannot bring it back even to his own mouth.
      25 The ridiculer you should strike, that the inexperienced one may become shrewd; and there should be a reproving of the understanding one, that he may discern knowledge.
      26 He that is maltreating a father [and] that chases a mother away is a son acting shamefully and disgracefully.
      27 Cease, my son, to listen to discipline [and it will mean] to stray from the sayings of knowledge.
      28 A good-for-nothing witness derides justice, and the very mouth of wicked people swallows down what is hurtful.
      29 Judgments have been firmly established for ridiculers, and strokes for the back of stupid ones.

20 Wine is a ridiculer, intoxicating liquor is boisterous, and everyone going astray by it is not wise.
      2 The frightfulness of a king is a growling like that of a maned young lion. Anyone drawing his fury against himself is sinning against his own soul.
      3 It is a glory for a man to desist from disputing, but everyone foolish will burst out [in it].
      4 Because of winter the lazy one will not plow; he will be begging in reaping time, but there will be nothing.
      5 Counsel in the heart of a man is as deep waters, but the man of discernment is one that will draw it up.
      6 A multitude of men will proclaim each one his own loving-kindness, but a faithful man who can find?
      7 The righteous is walking in his integrity. Happy are his sons after him.
      8 The king is sitting upon the throne of judgment, scattering all badness with his own eyes.
      9 Who can say: “I have cleansed my heart; I have become pure from my sin”?
      10 Two sorts of weights and two sorts of ephah measures—they are both of them together something detestable to Jehovah.
      11 Even by his practices a boy makes himself recognized as to whether his activity is pure and upright.
      12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye—Jehovah himself has made even both of them.
      13 Do not love sleep, that you may not come to poverty. Open your eyes; be satisfied with bread.
      14 “It is bad, bad!” says the buyer, and he is going his way. Then it is that he boasts about himself.
      15 There exists gold, also an abundance of corals; but the lips of knowledge are precious vessels.
      16 Take one’s garment, in case one has gone surety for a stranger; and in the instance of a foreign woman, seize from him a pledge.
      17 Bread [gained by] falsehood is pleasurable to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
      18 By counsel plans themselves are firmly established, and by skillful direction carry on your war.
      19 He that is going about as a slanderer is uncovering confidential talk; and with one that is enticed with his lips you must have no fellowship.
      20 As for anyone calling down evil upon his father and his mother, his lamp will be extinguished at the approach of darkness.
      21 An inheritance is being got by greed at first, but its own future will not be blessed.
      22 Do not say: “I will pay back evil!” Hope in Jehovah, and he will save you.
      23 Two sorts of weights are something detestable to Jehovah, and a cheating pair of scales is not good.
      24 From Jehovah are the steppings of an able-bodied man. As regards earthling man, how can he discern his way?
      25 It is a snare when earthling man has rashly cried out, “Holy!” and after vows [he is disposed] to make examination.
      26 A wise king is scattering wicked people, and he turns around upon them a wheel.
      27 The breath of earthling man is the lamp of Jehovah, carefully searching all the innermost parts of the belly.
      28 Loving-kindness and trueness—they safeguard the king; and by loving-kindness he has sustained his throne.
      29 The beauty of young men is their power, and the splendor of old men is their gray-headedness.
      30 Bruising wounds are what scours away the bad; and strokes, the innermost parts of the belly.