Read the Bible

Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness

¹ Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting^(a) with strife.

² A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

³ A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

⁴ A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

⁵ He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

⁶ Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.

⁷ Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

⁸ A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁹ Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.

¹⁰ A rebuke affects a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes to a fool.

¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion; so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹² It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

¹³ If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

¹⁴ To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.

¹⁶ Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸ A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.

²⁰ The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful will fall into trouble.

²¹ A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.

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

²³ A wicked man takes a covert bribe^(a) to subvert the course of justice.

²⁴ Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶ It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.

²⁷ A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding keeps a cool head.²⁸ Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.