Proverbs 17:6-25

Old people are distinguished by grandchildren; children take pride in their parents. We don’t expect eloquence from fools, nor do we expect lies from our leaders. Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone; any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted. Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend! A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool. Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going! Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs than a fool hellbent on folly. Those who return evil for good will meet their own evil returning. The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts. Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people are equally abhorrent to GOD. What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom! They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it! Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing, or run up huge bills you can never pay. The person who courts sin marries trouble; build a wall, invite a burglar. A bad motive can’t achieve a good end; double-talk brings you double trouble. Having a fool for a child is misery; it’s no fun being the parent of a dolt. A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired. The wicked take bribes under the table; they show nothing but contempt for justice. The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard; fools look for it everywhere but right here. A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father, a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.