Proverbs 18
1 Whoever has a will to withdraw from a friend, seeks occasions; he shall be reproached at all times.
He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, He interferes with all wisdom.
2 The foolish do not accept words of prudence, unless you say what is already turning in his heart.
A fool does not delight in understanding, But in uncovering his heart.
3 The impious, when he has arrived within the depths of sin, thinks little of it. But ill repute and disgrace follow him.
Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, And with shame—reproach.
4 Words from the mouth of a man are deep waters. And the fountain of wisdom is a torrent overflowing.
The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
5 It is not good to accept the character of the impious, so as to turn away from true judgment.
Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.
6 The lips of the foolish meddle in disputes. And his mouth provokes conflicts.
The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth calls for stripes.
7 The mouth of the foolish is his destruction, and his own lips are the ruin of his soul.
The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
8 The words of the double-tongued seem simple. And they reach even to the interior of the gut. Fear casts down the lazy, but the souls of the effeminate shall go hungry.
The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
9 Whoever is dissolute and slack in his work is the brother of him who wastes his own works.
He also that is remiss in his work, He [is] a brother to a destroyer.
10 The name of the Lord is a very strong tower. The just one rushes to it, and he shall be exalted.
The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.
11 The substance of the wealthy is the city of his strength, and it is like a strong wall encircling him.
The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
12 The heart of a man is exalted before it is crushed and humbled before it is glorified.
The heart of man is high before destruction, And humility [is] before honor.
13 Whoever responds before he listens, demonstrates himself to be foolish and deserving of confusion.
Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, It is folly to him—and shame.
14 The spirit of a man sustains his weakness. Yet who can sustain a spirit that is easily angered?
The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, And who bears a struck spirit?
15 A prudent heart shall possess knowledge. And the ear of the wise seeks doctrine.
The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man’s gift expands his way and makes space for him before leaders.
The gift of a man makes room for him, And it leads him before the great.
17 The just is the first accuser of himself; his friend arrives and shall investigate him.
The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him.
18 Casting a lot suppresses contentions and passes judgment, even among the powerful.
The lot causes contentions to cease, And it separates between the mighty.
19 A brother who is helped by a brother is like a reinforced city, and judgments are like the bars of cities.
A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth shall his belly be filled. And the harvest of his own lips shall satisfy him.
From the fruit of a man’s mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Whoever values it shall eat from its fruits.
Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
22 He who has found a good wife has found goodness, and he shall draw contentment from the Lord. He who expels a good wife expels goodness. But he who holds on to an adulteress is foolish and impious.
[Whoever] has found a wife has found good, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
23 The poor will speak with supplications. And the rich will express themselves roughly.
The poor speaks [with] supplications, And the rich answers fierce things.
24 A man amiable to society shall be more friendly than a brother.
A man with friends—to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
