Proverbios 18
Traducción en lenguaje actual
Premio o castigo,//tú lo decides
18 El que es egoísta
sólo piensa en sí mismo
y no acepta ningún consejo.
2 Al tonto no le interesa aprender,
sino mostrar lo poco que sabe.
3 La maldad nunca llega sola;
viene siempre acompañada
de vergüenza y desprecio.
4 Las palabras del sabio
son fuente de sabiduría.
5 ¡Qué malo es
declarar inocente al malvado
y no hacerle justicia al inocente!
6 Cuando el tonto abre la boca,
causa discusiones y pleitos.
7 Cuando el necio abre la boca,
pone su vida en peligro.
8 ¡Qué sabrosos son los chismes,
pero cuánto daño causan!
9 El vago y el destructor,
¡hasta parecen hermanos!
10 Dios es como una alta torre;
hacia él corren los buenos
para ponerse a salvo.
11 El rico cree estar protegido,
piensa que sus riquezas
son como una ciudad con murallas
donde nadie puede hacerle daño.
12 El orgullo acaba en fracaso;
la honra comienza con la humildad.
13 Es muy tonto y vergonzoso
responder antes de escuchar.
14 Con ánimo se alivia al enfermo,
pero no a quien está deprimido.
15 El que es sabio e inteligente
presta atención y aprende más.
16 Con un regalo generoso
todo el mundo te recibe;
¡hasta la gente más importante
te abre sus puertas!
17 El primero en defenderse
alega ser inocente,
pero llegan los testigos
y afirman lo contrario.
18 Los pleitos más difíciles
hay que ponerlos en manos de Dios.
19 Es más fácil derribar un muro
que calmar al amigo ofendido.
20 Cada uno recibe por sus palabras
su premio o su castigo.
21 La lengua tiene poder
para dar vida y para quitarla;
los que no paran de hablar
sufren las consecuencias.
22 Si ya tienes esposa,
ya tienes lo mejor:
¡Dios te ha demostrado su amor!
23 El pobre suplica;
el rico insulta.
24 Con ciertos amigos,
no hacen falta enemigos,
pero hay otros amigos
que valen más que un hermano.
Proverbs 18
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
18 The one who lives alone is self-indulgent,
showing contempt for all who have sound judgment.[a]
2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing personal opinion.
3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also;
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.
5 It is not right to be partial to the guilty,
or to subvert the innocent in judgment.
6 A fool’s lips bring strife,
and a fool’s mouth invites a flogging.
7 The mouths of fools are their ruin,
and their lips a snare to themselves.
8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
9 One who is slack in work
is close kin to a vandal.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous run into it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city;
in their imagination it is like a high wall.
12 Before destruction one’s heart is haughty,
but humility goes before honor.
13 If one gives answer before hearing,
it is folly and shame.
14 The human spirit will endure sickness;
but a broken spirit—who can bear?
15 An intelligent mind acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A gift opens doors;
it gives access to the great.
17 The one who first states a case seems right,
until the other comes and cross-examines.
18 Casting the lot puts an end to disputes
and decides between powerful contenders.
19 An ally offended is stronger than a city;[b]
such quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20 From the fruit of the mouth one’s stomach is satisfied;
the yield of the lips brings satisfaction.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
and obtains favor from the Lord.
23 The poor use entreaties,
but the rich answer roughly.
24 Some[c] friends play at friendship[d]
but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:1 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 18:19 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 18:24 Syr Tg: Heb A man of
- Proverbs 18:24 Cn Compare Syr Vg Tg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
Proverbs 18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 18
1 One who is alienated seeks a pretext,
with all persistence picks a quarrel.
2 Fools take no delight in understanding,
but only in displaying what they think.[a]
3 With wickedness comes contempt,
and with disgrace, scorn.
4 The words of one’s mouth are deep waters,
the spring of wisdom, a running brook.[b](A)
5 It is not good to favor the guilty,
nor to reject the claim of the just.(B)
6 The lips of fools walk into a fight,
and their mouths are asking for a beating.[c]
7 The mouths of fools are their ruin;
their lips are a deadly snare.(C)
8 The words of a talebearer are like dainty morsels:
they sink into one’s inmost being.(D)
9 Those slack in their work
are kin to the destroyer.
10 [d]The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the just run to it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city;(E)
they fancy it a high wall.
12 Before disaster the heart is haughty,(F)
but before honor is humility.
13 Whoever answers before listening,(G)
theirs is folly and shame.[e]
14 One’s spirit supports one when ill,
but a broken spirit who can bear?[f]
15 The heart of the intelligent acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.[g]
16 Gifts clear the way for people,
winning access to the great.(H)
17 Those who plead the case first seem to be in the right;
then the opponent comes and cross-examines them.[h]
18 The lot puts an end to disputes,
and decides a controversy between the mighty.[i]
19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a stronghold;
such strife is more daunting than castle gates.[j]
20 With the fruit of one’s mouth one’s belly is filled,
with the produce of one’s lips one is sated.[k](I)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue;(J)
those who choose one shall eat its fruit.[l]
22 To find a wife is to find happiness,
a favor granted by the Lord.(K)
23 The poor implore,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 There are friends who bring ruin,
but there are true friends more loyal than a brother.(L)
Footnotes
- 18:2 One grows in wisdom by listening to others, but fools take delight in expounding the contents of their minds.
- 18:4 Words express a person’s thoughts (“deep waters”), which in turn become accessible to others. Cf. 20:5a.
- 18:6 The bold personification of lips and mouth is similar to Ps 73:9, “They set their mouths against the heavens, their tongues roam the earth.” Careless words can lead one into serious trouble.
- 18:10–11 Contrast this judgment with the observation in 10:15.
- 18:13 To speak without first listening is characteristic of a fool; cf. 10:14; Sir 11:8.
- 18:14 The paradox is that something as slight as a column of air offers protection against the encroachment of death. If it is stilled, nothing, no matter how powerful, can substitute for it.
- 18:15 “Knowledge” here refers to what one knows, not knowledge in itself. The mind acquires and stores it, the ear strains toward it.
- 18:17 A persuasive speech in court can easily make one forget there is another side to the question. When the other party speaks, people realize they made a premature judgment. The experience at court is a lesson for daily life: there are two sides to every question.
- 18:18 See note on 16:33.
- 18:19 The Greek version, followed by several ancient versions, has the opposite meaning: “A brother helped by a brother is like a strong and lofty city; it is strong like a well-founded palace.” The Greek is secondary as is shown by the need to supply the phrase “by a brother”; further, the parallelism is inadequate. The Hebrew is to be preferred.
- 18:20 Fruit from the earth is our ordinary sustenance, but “the fruit of one’s lips,” i.e., our words, also affect our well-being. If our words and our deeds are right, then we are blessed, our “belly is filled.”
- 18:21 This enigmatic saying has provoked many interpretations, e.g., judicious speech brings a reward; those who love the tongue in the sense of rattling on must face the consequences of their loquacity. This translation interprets the verb “love” in colon B in its occasional sense of “choose” (e.g., 12:1; 20:13; Dt 4:37) and interprets its pronominal object as referring to both death and life in colon A. Death and life are set before every person (cf. Dt 30:15–20) and we have the power to choose either one by the quality of our deeds. Words (= “the tongue”) are regarded here as the defining actions of human beings.
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