Proverbs 17 The Message

A Whack on the Head of a Fool

17 A meal of bread and water in contented peace
    is better than a banquet spiced with quarrels.

² A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child
    and is honored as one of the family.

³ As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan,
    so our lives are assayed by God.

⁴ Evil people relish malicious conversation;
    the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.

⁵ Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator;
    gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.

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⁷ We don’t expect eloquence from fools,
    nor do we expect lies from our leaders.

⁸ Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone;
    any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.

⁹ Overlook an offense and bond a friendship;
    fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!

¹⁰ A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense
    does more than a whack on the head of a fool.

¹¹ Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble
    won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going!

¹² Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs
    than a fool hellbent on folly.

¹³ Those who return evil for good
    will meet their own evil returning.

¹⁴ The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam,
    so stop it before it bursts.

¹⁵ Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people
    are equally abhorrent to God.

¹⁶ What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!
    They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it!

I pray you’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know

Let this be our prayer when we lose our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

La luce che tu dai
I pray we’ll find your light
Nel cuore resterà
And hold it in our hearts

A ricordarci che
When stars go out each night
L’eterna stella sei

Nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede c’è
When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace e di fraternità

La forza che ci dia
We ask that life be kind
È il desiderio che
And watch us from above

Ognuno trovi amor
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro a sè
Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Just like every child

Need to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

E la fede che
Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salverai