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