Proverbs 17:8-14

⁸People think that a bribe is like a magic stone to persuade someone to do what they want him to do; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.

⁹If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.

¹⁰Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times with a stick.

¹¹Because wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.

¹²A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.

¹³If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person's family.

¹⁴Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.