Proverbs 18
Lexham English Bible
18 He who is selfish seeks a craving;[a]
against all sound judgment he shows contempt.
2 A fool will not take pleasure in understanding,
but in expressing his heart.[b]
3 With the coming of wickedness comes contempt also,
and with dishonor, disgrace.
4 Deep waters are words of the mouth of a man;
a gushing stream is a fountain of wisdom.
5 Being partial to faces of evil is not good,
nor to subvert the righteous at the judgment.
6 The lips of a fool will bring strife,
and his mouth calls out for a flogging.
7 The mouth of a fool is ruin to him,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.[c]
8 The words of a whisper are like delicious morsels,
and they themselves go down to inner parts of the body.
9 Even he who is slack in his work,
he is brother to a master[d] of destruction.
10 A tower of strength is the name of Yahweh;
into him[e] the righteous will run and be safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is his strong city,[f]
and like a wall, it is high in his imagination.
12 In the presence of destruction, the heart[g] of a man will be haughty,
but in the presence of honor, humble.
13 He who returns a word before he will hear,
folly itself belongs to him as well as[h] shame.
14 The spirit of a man will endure his sickness,
but a broken spirit, who may bear it?
15 An intelligent mind[i] will acquire knowledge,
and the ear of the wise will seek knowledge.
16 The gift of a person will open doors for him,
and before the great, it gives him access.
17 The first in his dispute is deemed righteous,
but his neighbor will come and examine him.
18 The lot will put an end to disputes,
and between powerful contenders it will decide.
19 A brother who is offended is worse than a city of strength,
and quarrels are like the bars of a fortification.
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth, his stomach will be satisfied,
as for the yield of his lips, it will satisfy.
21 Death and life are in the power[j] of the tongue,
and those who love her[k] will eat of her fruit.
22 He who finds a wife[l] finds good,
and he will obtain favor from Yahweh.
23 The poor may speak entreaties,
but the rich will answer roughly.
24 A man of many friends will come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:1 Or “boundary”
- Proverbs 18:2 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 18:7 Or “life,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 18:9 Or “owner”
- Proverbs 18:10 Or “it”
- Proverbs 18:11 Literally “a city of his strength”
- Proverbs 18:12 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 18:13 Hebrew “and”
- Proverbs 18:15 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 18:21 Literally “hand”
- Proverbs 18:21 That is, the power of the tongue
- Proverbs 18:22 Or “woman”
Proverbs 18
Christian Standard Bible
18 One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires;
he rebels against all sound wisdom.
3 When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
and along with dishonor, derision.
6 A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.(E)
7 A fool’s mouth is his devastation,
and his lips are a trap for his life.(F)
11 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;
in his imagination it is like a high wall.(K)
13 The one who gives an answer before he listens—
this is foolishness and disgrace for him.(N)
14 A person’s spirit can endure sickness,
but who can survive a broken spirit?(O)
15 The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks it.(P)
17 The first to state his case seems right
until another comes and cross-examines him.(R)
18 Casting the lot(S) ends quarrels
and separates powerful opponents.
19 An offended brother is harder to reach[g]
than a fortified city,
and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.
20 From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is filled with the product of his lips.(T)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.(U)
Footnotes
- 18:2 Lit to uncover his heart
- 18:4 Or waters; a fountain of wisdom is a flowing river
- 18:8 Lit to the chambers of the belly
- 18:9 Lit master of destruction
- 18:10 Lit raised high
- 18:16 Lit gift makes room
- 18:19 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read is stronger
- 18:24 Some LXX mss, Syr, Tg, Vg read friends must be friendly
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