.17:1-28.

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Friends and fools (Prov 17:1-28) A peaceful family life, no matter how simple, is a great blessing, but a son may miss out on his family inheritance through his own folly (Prov 17:1-2).

God’s dealings with his people are always for a good purpose, to make them better than they were before (Prov 17:3).

To listen to evil talk is as bad as to speak evil oneself; to take pleasure in another’s troubles is as bad as to cause those troubles (Prov 17:4-5).

Other proverbs concern the appreciation that the old and the young should have for each other (Prov 17:6), the need for fitting speech (Prov 17:7), the prosperity so easily yet wrongfully gained through bribery (Prov 17:8), and the different attitudes of the peacemaker and the troublemaker (Prov 17:9).

Fools are dangerous because they are stubborn, rebellious, and not open to reason (Prov 17:10-13).

Through them a minor disagreement can become a major conflict. They think that by paying fees to teachers they will get wisdom, but they do not have a mind to learn (Prov 17:14-16).

When in trouble a person can depend on a true friend for help, but help need not go so far that it brings the friend to ruin (Prov 17:17-18).

When people through wrongdoing advance themselves in order to boast of their higher status, they invite disaster (Prov 17:19-20).

Folly leads to grief, and that in turn leads to ill health. Cheerfulness, by contrast, helps keep a person healthy (Prov 17:21-22).

Innocent people suffer unjustly because of corrupt officials, and a fool’s parents suffer because of their son’s folly.

Fools wander aimlessly, but intelligent people consider all their actions wisely (Prov 17:23-26).

A mark of wisdom is to think before speaking (Prov 17:27-28).

(The frequent references to bribery and false witnesses indicate that corruption of the courts was widespread in the days of the writer; see Prov 14:5,25; 17:8,15,23,26; 18:5; 19:5,9,28.)