Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness

1Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting ⁴⁵with strife.

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

3A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

4A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

5He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.

7Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

8A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.

10A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

11An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

14To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.

16Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

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

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

19He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.

20The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

21A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.

22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

23A wicked man takes a covert bribe ⁴⁶to subvert the course of justice.

24Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

26It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.

27A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

28Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.