Proverbs 17:7-21

7It does not seem right when a fool says clever things. It is certainly not right when a ruler tells lies.

8Somebody who offers a bribe thinks that it will work like magic. It will help him to do whatever he wants to do.

9If you forgive people when they hurt you, they will still love you. But if you continue to talk about what they have done, they will no longer be your friends.

10You can warn a wise person once and he will learn what is right. But a fool never learns, even if you hit him a hundred times.

11An evil person never obeys authority, so a cruel messenger will come to punish him.

12Do not go near a fool who is doing stupid things. It would be safer to meet a mother bear who has lost her babies.

13If people are kind to you, do not do evil things in return. Anyone who does that will always have trouble in his home.

14It is difficult to stop a quarrel once it has started. It is like water that pours out of a broken pot. Stop it quickly!

15If a judge says that a guilty person is not guilty, the Lord hates it. If a judge punishes someone who is not guilty, the Lord hates that too.

16Money does not help a foolish person, because he does not want to become wise.

17A friend will always show that he loves you. Relatives are there to help you when you are in trouble.

18Only a stupid person promises to pay someone else's debts, even if he is a friend or a neighbour.

19Someone who loves to argue loves sin. Someone who boasts causes trouble for himself.

20Anyone who thinks about bad things will not do well in life. Anyone who deceives people with lies will have a lot of trouble.

21To have a foolish son makes parents sad. The father of a fool is never happy.