Proverbs 18:17-19
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
17 Those who plead the case first seem to be in the right;
then the opponent comes and cross-examines them.[a]
18 The lot puts an end to disputes,
and decides a controversy between the mighty.[b]
19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a stronghold;
such strife is more daunting than castle gates.[c]
Footnotes
- 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.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.