Proverbs 17:12

Bible in Basic English (1941)

It is better to come face to face with a bear whose young ones have been taken away than with a foolish man acting foolishly.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 2 Sam 17:8 : 8 Hushai said further, You have knowledge of your father and his men, that they are men of war, and that their feelings are bitter, like those of a bear in the field whose young ones have been taken from her: and your father is a man of war, and will not take his night's rest with the people;
  • Hos 13:8 : 8 I will come face to face with them like a bear whose young ones have been taken from her, and their inmost hearts will be broken; there the dogs will make a meal of them; they will be wounded by the beasts of the field.
  • Prov 27:3 : 3 A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.
  • Prov 28:15 : 15 Like a loud-voiced lion and a wandering bear, is an evil ruler over a poor people.
  • 2 Kgs 2:24 : 24 And turning back, he saw them, and put a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the wood and put forty-two of the children to death.
  • Matt 2:16 : 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was very angry; and he sent out, and put to death all the male children in Beth-lehem and in all the parts round about it, from two years old and under, acting on the knowledge which he had got with care from the wise men.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Prov 17:10-11
    2 verses
    78%

    10 A word of protest goes deeper into one who has sense than a hundred blows into a foolish man.

    11 An uncontrolled man is only looking for trouble, so a cruel servant will be sent against him.

  • Prov 17:13
    78%

    13 If anyone gives back evil for good, evil will never go away from his house.

  • Prov 17:24-25
    2 verses
    75%

    24 Wisdom is before the face of him who has sense; but the eyes of the foolish are on the ends of the earth.

    25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitter pain to her who gave him birth.

  • Prov 26:3-5
    3 verses
    75%

    3 A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

    4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

    5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

  • Prov 17:21
    74%

    21 He who has an unwise son gets sorrow for himself, and the father of a foolish son has no joy.

  • Prov 26:9-12
    4 verses
    74%

    9 Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

    10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

    11 Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.

    12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

  • Prov 27:12
    74%

    12 The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.

  • Prov 14:16-17
    2 verses
    73%

    16 The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.

    17 He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.

  • Prov 12:15-16
    2 verses
    73%

    15 The way of the foolish man seems right to him? but the wise man gives ear to suggestions.

    16 A foolish man lets his trouble be openly seen, but a sharp man keeps shame secret.

  • Amos 5:19
    73%

    19 As if a man, running away from a lion, came face to face with a bear; or went into the house and put his hand on the wall and got a bite from a snake.

  • Prov 13:16
    73%

    16 A sharp man does everything with knowledge, but a foolish man makes clear his foolish thoughts.

  • Prov 13:20
    73%

    20 Go with wise men and be wise: but he who keeps company with the foolish will be broken.

  • Prov 15:20-21
    2 verses
    72%

    20 A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man has no respect for his mother.

    21 Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise; but a man of good sense makes his way straight.

  • Prov 19:1
    72%

    1 Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.

  • Prov 14:7-8
    2 verses
    72%

    7 Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.

    8 The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.

  • Prov 19:3
    72%

    3 By his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.

  • Prov 10:23
    72%

    23 It is sport to the foolish man to do evil, but the man of good sense takes delight in wisdom.

  • Prov 28:15
    71%

    15 Like a loud-voiced lion and a wandering bear, is an evil ruler over a poor people.

  • Prov 22:15
    71%

    15 Foolish ways are deep-seated in the heart of a child, but the rod of punishment will send them far from him.

  • Prov 17:16
    71%

    16 How will money in the hand of the foolish get him wisdom, seeing that he has no sense?

  • Prov 15:5
    71%

    5 A foolish man puts no value on his father's training; but he who has respect for teaching has good sense.

  • Eccl 10:12
    71%

    12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.

  • Prov 29:11
    71%

    11 A foolish man lets out all his wrath, but a wise man keeps it back quietly.

  • Prov 18:2
    71%

    2 A foolish man has no pleasure in good sense, but only to let what is in his heart come to light.

  • Prov 29:9
    71%

    9 If a wise man goes to law with a foolish man, he may be angry or laughing, but there will be no rest.

  • Eccl 7:5
    71%

    5 It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.

  • Prov 21:19-20
    2 verses
    71%

    19 It is better to be living in a waste land, than with a bitter-tongued and angry woman.

    20 There is a store of great value in the house of the wise, but it is wasted by the foolish man.

  • Prov 29:20
    71%

    20 Have you seen a man who is quick with his tongue? There is more hope for a foolish man than for him.

  • Prov 18:6
    71%

    6 A foolish man's lips are a cause of fighting, and his mouth makes him open to blows.

  • Lam 3:10
    70%

    10 He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.

  • Prov 7:22
    70%

    22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;

  • Prov 20:3
    70%

    3 It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war.

  • Eccl 4:13
    70%

    13 A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.

  • Prov 27:3
    70%

    3 A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.

  • Eccl 10:3
    70%

    3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

  • Prov 23:9
    70%

    9 Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.

  • Hos 13:8
    70%

    8 I will come face to face with them like a bear whose young ones have been taken from her, and their inmost hearts will be broken; there the dogs will make a meal of them; they will be wounded by the beasts of the field.

  • Prov 11:29
    70%

    29 The troubler of his house will have the wind for his heritage, and the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.