Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness

1Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it,

than a house full of feasting† with strife.

2A wise servant rules over a son who acts shamefully,

and in the midst of brothers he will share an inheritance.

3The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,

and the One testing hearts is YHWH.

4One doing evil pays attention to lips of iniquity;

a liar gives ear to a tongue of evil desires.

5One mocking the poor scorns his Maker;

one glad at calamity will not be acquitted.

6The crown of old men are the sons of sons,

and the glory of sons are their fathers.

7A lip of excellence is not lovely to a fool,

even less to a prince is a lip of falsehood.

8A stone of favor is a bribe in the eyes of its owners—

to all that he turns, he prospers.

9The one covering a transgression is seeking love,

and one repeating a word is separating a close friend.

10A rebuke goes down into an understanding one,

more than a hundred stripes into a fool.

11An evil one seeks only rebellion,

and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12Let meet a bear robbed of her cubs with a man,

and not a fool in his folly.

13One returning evil in exchange for good—

evil shall not depart from his house.

14The beginning of strife is a letting out of waters,

and before it breaks out, abandon the dispute.

15One justifying the wicked, and condemning the just—

even the two of them are an abomination to YHWH.

16Why is is this a payment in the hand of a fool,

to buy wisdom without a heart?

17At every time a friend is loving,

and a brother is born for distress.

18A man lacking heart is one striking hands,

pledging a pledge before the face of his friend.

19The one loving transgression loves strife;

the one making high his entrance is seeking destruction.

20The twisted of heart shall not find good,

and the turned in his tongue falls into evil.

21The one begetting a fool, grief is unto him,

and the father of a fool is not glad.

22A joyful heart is good healing,

and a spirit stricken dries up the bones.

23A wicked one takes a bribe from the bosom†

to stretch aside the paths of justice.

24With the face of a discerning one is wisdom

and the eyes of a fool are at the end of the earth.

25A foolish son is a grief to his father,

and bitterness to her who bore him.

26Surely to fine the righteous is not good,

to strike nobles for uprightness.

27The one restraining his words is one knowing knowledge,

and calm of spirit is a man of understanding.

28Even a fool keeping silent is considered wise,

one shutting his lips discerning.