Proverbs 17:14-25

¹⁴The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere, so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.

¹⁵The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person— both are an abomination to Yahweh.

¹⁶Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom, when he has no ability to learn it?

¹⁷A friend is loving at all times and a brother is born for times of trouble.

¹⁸A man having no sense makes binding promises and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.

¹⁹Whoever loves conflict loves sin; the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.

²⁰A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good; the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.

²¹Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself; and the father of a fool has no joy.

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

²³A wicked man accepts a secret bribe to pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to the woman who bore him.