The Message

Proverbs 17:2-16 The Message (MSG)

2. A wise servant takes charge of an unruly childand 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.

6. Old people are distinguished by grandchildren;children take pride in their parents.

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 sensedoes more than a whack on the head of a fool.

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

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

13. Those who return evil for goodwill 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 peopleare equally abhorrent to God.

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