Proverbs 18:15-19:17

English Standard Version

¹⁵ An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
    and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
¹⁶ A man's ^(A)gift makes room for him
    and brings him before the great.
¹⁷ The one who states his case first seems right,
    until the other comes and examines him.
^18 (B)The lot puts an end to quarrels
    and decides between powerful contenders.
¹⁹ A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
    and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
^20 (C)From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied;
    he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
^21 (D)Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
    and those who love it will eat its fruits.
²² He who finds ^(E)a wife finds ^(F)a good thing
    and ^(G)obtains favor ^(H)from the Lord.
²³ The poor use entreaties,
    but ^(I)the rich answer roughly.
²⁴ A man of many companions may come to ruin,
    but ^(J)there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
19 ^(K)Better is a poor person who ^(L)walks in his integrity
    than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
² Desire^[a] without knowledge is not good,
    and whoever ^(M)makes haste with his feet misses his way.
³ When a man's folly ^(N)brings his way to ruin,
    his heart ^(O)rages against the Lord.
^4 (P)Wealth brings many new friends,
    ^(Q)but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
^5 (R)A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who ^(S)breathes out lies will not escape.
⁶ Many seek the favor of a generous man,^[b]
    and everyone is a friend to a man who gives ^(T)gifts.
^7 (U)All a poor man's brothers hate him;
    ^(V)how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.^[c]
8 (W)Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
    he who keeps understanding will ^(X)discover good.
^9 (Y)A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who ^(Z)breathes out lies will perish.
^10 (AA)It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    much less for ^(AB)a slave to rule over princes.
^11 (AC)Good sense makes one slow to anger,
    and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
¹² A king's wrath is like ^(AD)the growling of a lion,
    but his ^(AE)favor is like ^(AF)dew on the grass.
^13 (AG)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
    and ^(AH)a wife's quarreling is ^(AI)a continual dripping of rain.
^14 (AJ)House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
    but a prudent wife is ^(AK)from the Lord.
^15 (AL)Slothfulness casts into ^(AM)a deep sleep,
    and ^(AN)an idle person will suffer hunger.
¹⁶ Whoever ^(AO)keeps the commandment keeps his life;
    he who despises his ways will die.
^17 (AP)Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
    and he ^(AQ)will repay him for his ^(AR)deed.