Proverbs 18
1 He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, He interferes with all wisdom.
Selfish people only please themselves, they attack anything that makes good sense.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But in uncovering his heart.
Stupid people have no interest in trying to understand, they only want to express their opinions.
3 Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, And with shame—reproach.
With wickedness comes contempt; with dishonor comes disgrace.
4 The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
People's words can be profound like deep waters, a gushing stream that is the source of wisdom.
5 Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.
It's not right to show favoritism to the guilty and rob the innocent of justice.
6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth calls for stripes.
What stupid people say gets them into fights, as if they're asking for a beating.
7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
Stupid people are caught out by what they say; their own words trap them.
8 The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
Listening to gossip is like gulping down bites of your favorite food—they go deep down inside you.
9 He also that is remiss in his work, He [is] a brother to a destroyer.
Laziness and destruction are brothers.
10 The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.
The Lord is a protective tower that good people can run to and be safe.
11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
Rich people see their wealth as a fortified town—it's like a high wall in their imagination.
12 The heart of man is high before destruction, And humility [is] before honor.
Pride leads to destruction; humility goes before honor.
13 Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, It is folly to him—and shame.
Replying before hearing is stupidity and shame.
14 The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, And who bears a struck spirit?
With a brave spirit you can put up with sickness, but if it's crushed, you can't bear it.
15 The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
An intelligent mind acquires knowledge; the wise are ready to hear knowledge.
16 The gift of a man makes room for him, And it leads him before the great.
A gift opens doors for you, and gets you into the presence of important people.
17 The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him.
The first person to plead a case sounds right until someone comes to cross-examine them.
18 The lot causes contentions to cease, And it separates between the mighty.
Casting lots can end disputes and decide between powerful people.
19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
A brother you've offended is harder to win back than a fortified town. Arguments keep people apart like bars on the doors of a fortress.
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
Make sure you're satisfied with what you say—you have to live with your words.
21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
What you say has the power to bring life or to kill; those who love talking will have to deal with the consequences.
22 [Whoever] has found a wife has found good, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
If you find a wife, that's great, and you'll be blessed by the Lord.
23 The poor speaks [with] supplications, And the rich answers fierce things.
The poor beg for mercy, but the rich reply harshly.
24 A man with friends—to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
Some friends give up on you, but there's a friend who stays closer to you than a brother.
