New International Version (NIV)
14Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
Proverbs 17:14
Proverbs 17:14 in 6 English translations. Each links through to the full chapter for context.
New American Standard Bible - NASB (NASB2020)
14The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
14The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
14The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes];
Therefore 17:14 The ancient rabbis derived from this statement the principle of seeking a settlement before a case comes to court (cf Matt 5:25; Luke 12:58).abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB)
14To start a quarrel is to release a flood;
so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
14Starting to argue is like making a crack in a dam.
So drop the matter before a fight breaks out.