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Proverbs 18
Common English Bible
Proverbs 18
Common English Bible
18 Unfriendly people look out for themselves;
they bicker with sensible people.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing their opinion.
3 When the wicked arrive, so does contempt;
with shame comes insult.
4 The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters,
a bubbling stream, a fountain of wisdom.
5 Favoring the wicked isn’t good;
it denies justice to the righteous.
6 The lips of fools make accusations;
their mouths elicit beatings.
7 The mouth of fools is their ruin;
their lips are a trap for their lives.
8 The words of gossips are like choice snacks;
they go down to the inmost parts.
9 Those who are lazy in their work
are brothers to thugs.
10 The Lord’s name is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and find refuge.
11 The riches of the wealthy are a strong city
and like a high wall in their imagination.
12 Pride comes before a disaster,
but humility comes before respect.
13 Those who answer before they listen
are foolish and disgraceful.
14 The human spirit sustains a sick person,
but who can bear a broken spirit?
15 An understanding mind gains knowledge;
the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A gift opens the way
for access to important people.
17 The first person to testify seems innocent,
until the other comes and cross-examines him.
18 The dice settle conflicts
and keep strong opponents apart.
19 An offended ally is more formidable than a city;
such quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20 The stomach is satisfied
by the fruit of the mouth;
one’s lips can earn a satisfying income.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue;
those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good,
gaining favor from the Lord.
23 The poor plead for help,
but the wealthy answer harshly.
24 There are persons for companionship,
but then there are friends who are more loyal than family.
Proverbs 18
New King James Version
Proverbs 18
New King James Version
The Name of the Lord Is a Strong Tower
18 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all [a]wise judgment.
2 A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his (A)own heart.
3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach.
5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in (D)judgment.
6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.
7 (E)A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his (F)soul.
8 (G)The words of a [b]talebearer are like [c]tasty trifles,
And they go down into the [d]inmost body.
9 He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong (H)tower;
The righteous run to it and are [e]safe.
11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own esteem.
12 (I)Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
And before honor is humility.
13 He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken spirit?
15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 (J)A man’s gift makes room for him,
And brings him before great men.
17 The first one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his neighbor comes and examines him.
18 Casting (K)lots causes contentions to cease,
And keeps the mighty apart.
19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
20 (L)A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
21 (M)Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 (N)He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the Lord.
23 The poor man uses entreaties,
But the rich answers (O)roughly.
24 A man who has friends [f]must himself be friendly,
(P)But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:1 sound wisdom
- Proverbs 18:8 gossip or slanderer
- Proverbs 18:8 A Jewish tradition wounds
- Proverbs 18:8 Lit. rooms of the belly
- Proverbs 18:10 secure, lit. set on high
- Proverbs 18:24 So with Gr. mss., Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT may come to ruin
Proverbs 18
New International Version
Proverbs 18
New International Version
18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.(A)
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,(B)
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.(E)
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.(H)
9 One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.(I)
11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(L)
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.(M)
13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.(N)
14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?(O)
15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(P)
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 A gift(Q) opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18 Casting the lot settles disputes(R)
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 A brother wronged(S) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.(T)
23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(Y)
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.