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Bible Chapter Summary

Proverbs 17 Summary

Friendship, Strife, and the Wise Heart

Proverbs 17 reveals that a wise servant rules over a shameful son and receives inheritance with the brethren. The fining pot tries gold as the LORD tries hearts. Covering a transgression seeks love, but repeating a matter separates close friends. A fool's reproof goes deeper into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool. A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. Even a fool, when silent, is accounted wise.

Key themes

The LORD tries heartsCovering transgressionsFaithful friendshipBorn for adversityWisdom of silence

Key verses

Proverbs 17:3

The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

Proverbs 17:9

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Proverbs 17:10

A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

Proverbs 17:17

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

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