Proverbs 18
1 He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, He interferes with all wisdom.
A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But in uncovering his heart.
A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.
3 Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, And with shame—reproach.
When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.
4 The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
5 Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.
To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth calls for stripes.
A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.
7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to 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 a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.
9 He also that is remiss in his work, He [is] a brother to a destroyer.
One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
10 The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.
The LORD’s name is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.
12 The heart of man is high before destruction, And humility [is] before honor.
Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility.
13 Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, It is folly to him—and shame.
He who answers before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, And who bears a struck spirit?
A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?
15 The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 The gift of a man makes room for him, And it leads him before the great.
A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
17 The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him.
He who pleads his cause first seems right— until another comes and questions him.
18 The lot causes contentions to cease, And it separates between the mighty.
The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.
19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city. Disputes are like the bars 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.
A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
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; those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 [Whoever] has found a wife has found good, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the LORD.
23 The poor speaks [with] supplications, And the rich answers fierce things.
The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
24 A man with friends—to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
