# Proverbs 17.23 **Book:** [Proverbs](/codex/proverbs/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 21. He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy. 22. A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones. > > **23. A wicked man receiveth a bribe out of the bosom, To pervert the ways of justice.** > > 24. Wisdom is before the face of him that hath understanding; But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 25. A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her that bare him. (Proverbs 17:21-25, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 21. He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy. 22. A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. > > **23. A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.** > > 24. Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, 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. (Proverbs 17:21-25, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 21. He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. 22. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. like: or, to > > **23. A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.** > > 24. Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 25. A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. (Proverbs 17:21-25, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 21. Whoso is begetting a fool hath affliction for it, Yea, the father of a fool rejoiceth not. 22. A rejoicing heart doth good to the body, And a smitten spirit drieth the bone. > > **23. A bribe from the bosom the wicked taketh, To turn aside the paths of judgment.** > > 24. The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool, at the end of the earth. 25. A provocation to his father [is] a foolish son, And bitterness to her that bare him. (Proverbs 17:21-25, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** _TBD_ - **Audience:** _TBD_ - **Location:** _TBD_ - **Time period:** _TBD_ ## Theological reading _Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._ ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [The Ought-Owe Argument](/codex/the-ought-owe-argument/) ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.