Proverbs 17:9 
Context| NET © | The one who forgives 1 an offense seeks 2 love, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends. 3 |
| NIV © | He who covers over an offence promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. |
| NASB © | He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. |
| NLT © | Disregarding another person’s faults preserves love; telling about them separates close friends. |
| MSG © | Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and--good-bye, friend! |
| BBE © | He who keeps a sin covered is looking for love; but he who keeps on talking of a thing makes division between friends. |
| NRSV © | One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend. |
| NKJV © | He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | |
| NET © | The one who forgives 1 an offense seeks 2 love, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends. 3 |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn Heb “covers” (so NASB); NIV “covers over.” How people respond to the faults of others reveals whether or not they have love. The contrast is between one who “covers” (forgives, cf. NCV, NRSV) the fault of a friend and one who repeats news about it. The former promotes love because he cares about the person; the latter divides friends. 2 sn The participle מְבַקֵּשׁ (mÿvaqesh) means “seeks” in the sense of seeking to secure or procure or promote love. There can be no friendship without such understanding and discretion. 3 sn W. G. Plaut notes that harping on the past has destroyed many friendships and marriages (Proverbs, 188). W. McKane observes that this line refers to the person who breaks up friendships by his scandalous gossip, even if it is done with a kind of zeal for the welfare of the community, for it will destroy love and trust (Proverbs [OTL], 508-9). |
