This is the proverbs, and they do not require commentary, but reflection.
That it is wrong to encourage strife, to praise the evil, to be corrupt, and to have contempt for the poor.
And that it is God who tests our hearts. They are shown more when things go wrong than when things go correctly.
Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.
A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and the LORD tests hearts.
An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;
he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a prince.
A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
Whoever covers an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs
rather than a fool in his folly.
If anyone returns evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom
when he has no sense?
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
One who lacks sense gives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.(Proverbs 17:1-20 ESV)
Of course, this is not to be said, or considered. The elite love transgression, and want strife. They want us nicely appeased by their promises, and their clients.
The path of wisdom is not to claim that you are special or important or that you cannot be replaced. It is to build a live with the wife of your youth, raise Godly children, and grandchildren.
It is to be a patriarch. It is to be a grandmother. It is to rejoice in our bodies, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and to care for our health and provide for our young. It is not to be a snob, or seek only those who are rich.
But the fool loves transgression and strife. Don’t be him.
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