Proverbs 17:13-26

The one who returns evil for good can expect to be treated the same way for the rest of his life. Don’t be one who is quick to quarrel, for an argument is hard to stop, and you never know how it will end, so don’t even start down that road! There is nothing God hates more than condemning the one who is innocent and acquitting the one who is guilty. Why pay tuition to educate a fool? For he has no intention of acquiring true wisdom. A dear friend will love you no matter what, and a family sticks together through all kinds of trouble. It’s stupid to run up bills you’ll never be able to pay or to cosign for the loan of your friend. Save yourself the trouble and don’t do either one. If you love to argue, then you must be in love with sin. For the one who loves to boast is only asking for trouble. The one with a perverse heart never has anything good to say, and the chronic liar tumbles into constant trouble. Parents of a numbskull will have many sorrows, for there’s nothing about his lifestyle that will make them proud. A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression. When you take a secret bribe, your actions reveal your true character, for you pervert the ways of justice. Even the face of a wise man shows his intelligence. But the wandering eyes of a fool will look for wisdom everywhere except right in front of his nose. A father grieves over the foolishness of his child, and bitter sorrow fills his mother. It’s horrible to persecute a holy lover of God or to strike an honorable man for his integrity!