Proverbs 18
1 He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, He interferes with all wisdom.
與眾寡合的，只求私意；對任何指教，都表忿恨。
2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But in uncovering his heart.
愚昧的人不喜愛受教，只愛顯露自己的心意。
3 Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, And with shame—reproach.
邪惡一來，輕視隨到；侮辱也隨無恥而至。
4 The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
哲人口中的言語有如深水，又如洶湧的溪流，生命的泉源。
5 Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.
在判案時，徇惡人之私，加害於義人，實屬不公。
6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth calls for stripes.
愚人的唇舌，常引起爭端；愚人的口舌，常自招責打。
7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
愚人的舌，使自己喪亡；他的嘴唇，是害己的陷阱。
8 The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
進讒者的話，如可口美味，能深深透入肺腑的深處。
9 He also that is remiss in his work, He [is] a brother to a destroyer.
懶於操勞的人，是敗子的弟兄。
10 The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.
上主的名號，是堅固保壘；義人投入內，必得享安全。
11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
富人的財產，是他的堅城；在他意想中，像座高牆垣。
12 The heart of man is high before destruction, And humility [is] before honor.
心傲是滅亡的前導，心謙是光榮的前驅。
13 Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, It is folly to him—and shame.
未聽而先答，實愚昧可恥。
14 The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, And who bears a struck spirit?
剛毅的精神，能忍受病苦；精神萎靡，有誰能支持﹖
15 The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
明智人的心，必獲得學問；智慧人的耳，必探求知識。
16 The gift of a man makes room for him, And it leads him before the great.
禮物能給人大開門路，引人晉謁權貴。
17 The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him.
先訴理者似有理，對手來時再審斷。
18 The lot causes contentions to cease, And it separates between the mighty.
抽籤可以使爭端平息，也能調解權貴的糾紛。
19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
兄弟若不和，比堅城還難攻克；他們的爭辯，有如碉堡的門閂。
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
人必以口中果實充滿肚腹，必飽嘗自己唇舌的出產。
21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
死亡和生命，全在乎唇舌；放縱唇舌的，必自食其果。
22 [Whoever] has found a wife has found good, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
誰覓得了賢妻，便覓得了幸福，得了上主恩眷。
23 The poor speaks [with] supplications, And the rich answers fierce things.
貧窮的人哀懇乞憐；富貴的人厲聲以對。
24 A man with friends—to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
交朋友過多，必會有損害；但有些朋友，遠勝親兄弟。
