Proverbs 17

etter a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.
3 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,
and the Lord is the tester of hearts.
4 A wicked person listens to malicious talk;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of children is their fathers.
7 Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.
8 A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.
10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.
11 An evil person desires only rebellion;
a cruel messenger 17:11 Ps 78:49 will be sent against him.
12 Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool in his foolishness.
13 If anyone returns evil for good,
evil will never depart from his house.
14 To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just —
both are detestable to the Lord.
16 Why does a 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 a difficult time.
18 One without sense enters an agreement
and puts up security for his friend.
19 One who loves to offend loves strife;
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.
20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.
21 A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
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 person secretly takes a bribe
to subvert the course of justice.
24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes roam to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.
26 It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.
27 The one who has knowledge restrains his words,
and one who keeps a cool head
is a person of understanding.
28 Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent ​—
discerning, when he seals his lips.

Proverbs 18

ne who isolates himself pursues selfish desires;
he rebels against all sound wisdom.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only wants to show off his opinions.
3 When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
and along with dishonor, derision.
4 The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters,
a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.
5 It is not good to show partiality to the guilty,
denying an innocent person justice.
6 A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.
7 A fool’s mouth is his devastation,
and his lips are a trap for his life.
8 A gossip’s words are like choice food
that goes down to one’s innermost being.
9 The one who is lazy in his work
is brother to a vandal.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are protected.
11 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;
in his imagination it is like a high wall.
12 Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud,
but humility comes before honor.
13 The one who gives an answer before he listens —
this is foolishness and disgrace for him.
14 A person’s spirit can endure sickness,
but who can survive a broken spirit?
15 The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks it.
16 A person’s gift opens doors for him
and brings him before the great.
17 The first to state his case seems right
until another comes and cross-examines him.
18 Casting the lot ends quarrels
and separates powerful opponents.
19 An offended brother is harder to reach
than a fortified city,
and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.
20 From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is filled with the product of his lips.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 A man who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.
23 The poor person pleads,
but the rich one answers roughly.
24 One with many friends may be harmed,
but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

2 Corinthians 2

n fact, I made up my mind about this: I would not come to you on another painful visit.
2 For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me? 3 I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours. 4 For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart ​— ​not to cause you pain, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.

A SINNER FORGIVEN
5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree ​— ​not to exaggerate ​— ​to all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is sufficient for that person. 7 As a result, you should instead forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 I wrote for this purpose: to test your character to see if you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I do too. For what I have forgiven ​— ​if I have forgiven anything ​— ​it is for your benefit in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

A TRIP TO MACEDONIA
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord opened a door for me, 13 I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. Instead, I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.

A MINISTRY OF LIFE OR DEATH
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? 17 For we do not market the word of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

— 2 Corinthians 2:1-17 (CSB)