Proverbs 18
Legacy Standard Bible
18 He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He (A)breaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.
2 A fool does not delight in discernment,
But only (B)in revealing his own heart.
3 When a wicked man comes, despising also comes,
And with disgrace comes reproach.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are (C)deep waters;
[a]The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.
5 To (D)show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to (E)thrust aside the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool’s lips come with strife,
And his mouth calls for (F)beatings.
7 A (G)fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [b]innermost parts of the stomach.
9 He also who is (H)slack in his work
(I)Is brother to him who destroys.
10 The (J)name of Yahweh is a (K)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is (L)set securely on high.
11 A (M)rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own delusion.
12 (N)Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
But (O)humility goes before glory.
13 He who (P)responds with a word before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The (Q)spirit of a man can endure his sickness,
But as for a (R)broken spirit, who can bear it?
15 The (S)heart of the understanding acquires knowledge,
And the (T)ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man’s (U)gift makes room for him
And leads him into the presence of great men.
17 The first [c]to plead his case seems right,
Until [d]another comes and examines him.
18 The cast (V)lot puts an end to contentions
And [e]decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
20 From the [f](W)fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
(X)With the produce of his lips he will be satisfied.
21 (Y)Death and life are in the [g]power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its (Z)fruit.
22 He who finds a (AA)wife finds a good thing
And (AB)obtains favor from Yahweh.
23 The (AC)poor man speaks supplications,
But the (AD)rich man (AE)answers with strong words.
24 A man of too many friends comes to [h]ruin,
But there is (AF)a [i]friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:4 Or A bubbling brook, a fountain of wisdom
- Proverbs 18:8 Lit chambers of the belly
- Proverbs 18:17 Lit in his plea
- Proverbs 18:17 Lit his neighbor
- Proverbs 18:18 Lit makes a division
- Proverbs 18:20 Speech
- Proverbs 18:21 Lit hand
- Proverbs 18:24 Lit be broken in pieces
- Proverbs 18:24 Or lover
Proverbs 18
EasyEnglish Bible
18 People who do not have any friends think only about themselves.
They refuse to listen to good advice.
2 A fool does not try to understand what is right.
He only likes to tell people his own ideas.
3 When a wicked person arrives, shame comes with him.
And shame causes people to speak against you.
4 The words that you speak are like the deep water of the sea.
If they are wise words, they are like a cool stream.
5 Do not refuse to punish wicked people. That would not be good.
Also, do not punish anyone who has not done anything wrong.
6 When a fool speaks, he starts an argument.
He is asking for someone to beat him with a stick.
7 When a fool speaks, he is destroying himself.
His own words are a trap that catches him.
8 We love to hear other people's secrets.
They seem like good food that we can enjoy.
9 A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.
10 The name of the Lord is like a strong tower.
Righteous people can run there, and then they will be safe.
11 Rich people think that their money makes them safe,
like high, strong walls round a city.
12 If you become proud, something will soon destroy you.
But if you are humble, you will soon receive honour.
13 Listen carefully before you answer.
If you answer too quickly, you will be ashamed like a fool.
14 When someone is ill, his spirit will keep him strong.
But if his spirit has lost hope, he cannot stay strong.
15 Wise people are always learning something new.
16 A gift will give you a chance to meet new people.
Important people may become your friends.
17 You will always believe the first person to speak in court,
until the other person starts to ask him questions.
18 If two powerful people have an argument,
you may have to throw dice to decide who is right.
19 If you insult a relative,
it will be difficult to become friends with him again.
Arguments keep people apart,
like the walls of a strong city.
20 If you speak words that help people,
they are like good food.
21 Words have the power to bring life or death.
So be careful if you talk a lot!
22 If you find a wife, you find a good thing.
The Lord has given you something to enjoy.
23 A poor person has to ask for help.
But a rich person can insult people.
24 A man with many friends may lose them.
But there is a friend who is more faithful than a brother.
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