Read The Message Proverbs 17 Bible Online

Proverbs 17 - The Message bible

Proverbs 17

¹A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.

²A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child and is honored as one of the family.

³As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan, so our lives are refined by GOD.

⁴Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.

⁵Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator; gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.

⁶Old people are distinguished by grandchildren; children take pride in their parents.

⁷We don’t expect eloquence from fools, nor do we expect lies from our leaders.

⁸Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone; any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.

⁹Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!

¹⁰A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool.

¹¹Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going!

¹²Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs than a fool hellbent on folly.

¹³Those who return evil for good will meet their own evil returning.

¹⁴The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts.

¹⁵Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people are equally abhorrent to GOD.

¹⁶What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom! They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it!

¹⁷Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

¹⁸It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing, or run up huge bills you can never pay.

¹⁹The person who courts sin marries trouble; build a wall, invite a burglar.

²⁰A bad motive can’t achieve a good end; double-talk brings you double trouble.

²¹Having a fool for a child is misery; it’s no fun being the parent of a dolt.

²²A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

²³The wicked take bribes under the table; they show nothing but contempt for justice.

²⁴The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard; fools look for it everywhere but right here.

²⁵A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father, a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.

²⁶It’s wrong to penalize good behavior, or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.

²⁷The one who knows much says little; an understanding person remains calm.

²⁸Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.