Proverbs 18
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
18 He that hath a mind to depart from a friend seeketh occasions: he shall ever be subject to reproach.
2 A fool receiveth not the words of prudence: unless thou say those things which are in his heart.
3 The wicked man when he is come into the depth of sins, contemneth: but ignominy and reproach follow him.
4 Words from the mouth of a men are as deep water: and the fountain of wisdom as an overflowing stream.
5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to decline from the truth of judgment.
6 The lips of a fool intermeddle with strife: and his mouth provoketh quarrels.
7 The mouth of a fool is his destruction: and his lips are the ruin of his soul.
8 The words of the double tongued are as if they were harmless: and they reach even to the inner parts of the bowels. Fear casteth down the slothful: and the souls of the effeminate shall be hungry.
9 He that is loose and slack in his work, is the brother of him that wasteth his own works.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the just runneth to it, and shall be exalted.
11 The substance of the rich man is the city of his strength, and as a strong wall compassing him about.
12 Before destruction, the heart of a man is exalted: and before he be glorified, it is humbled.
13 He that answereth before he heareth sheweth himself to be a fool, and worthy of confusion.
14 The spirit of a man upholdeth his infirmity: but a spirit that is easily angered, who can bear?
15 A wise heart shall acquire knowledge: and the ear of the wise seeketh instruction.
16 A man's gift enlargeth his may, and maketh him room before princes.
17 The just is first accuser of himself: his friend cometh, and shall search him.
18 The lot suppresseth contentions, and determineth even between the mighty.
19 A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities.
20 Of the fruit of a man's mouth shall his belly be satisfied: and the offspring of his lips shall fill him.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: they that love it, shall eat the fruits thereof.
22 He that hath found a good wife, hath found a good thing, and shall receive a pleasure from the Lord. He that driveth away a good wife, driveth away a good thing: but he that keepeth an adulteress, is foolish and wicked.
23 The poor will speak with supplications, and the rich will speak roughly.
24 A man amiable in society, shall be more friendly than a brother.
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
International Children’s Bible
18 An unfriendly person cares only about himself.
He makes fun of all wisdom.
2 A foolish person does not want to understand anything.
He only enjoys telling others what he thinks.
3 Do something evil, and people won’t like you.
Do something shameful, and they will make fun of you.
4 Understanding people’s words is as hard as getting water out of a deep well.
But understanding wisdom is as easy as getting water from a flowing stream.
5 It is not good to honor the wicked.
Nor is it good to be unfair to the innocent.
6 A fool’s words start quarrels.
They make people want to give him a beating.
7 A fool’s words will ruin him.
He will be trapped by his own words.
8 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.
People take them all in.
9 A person who doesn’t work hard
is just like a person who destroys things.
10 The Lord is like a strong tower.
Those who do what is right can run to him for safety.
11 Rich people trust their wealth to protect them.
They think it is like the high walls of a city.
12 People who are proud will be ruined.
But those who are not proud will be honored.
13 A person who answers without listening
is foolish and disgraceful.
14 The will to live can get you through sickness.
But no one can live with a broken spirit.
15 The mind of a smart person is ready to get knowledge.
The wise person listens to learn more.
16 Taking a gift to an important person
will help get you in to see him.
17 The first person to tell his side of a story seems right.
But that may change when somebody comes and asks him questions.
18 Throwing lots settles arguments.
It keeps the two sides from fighting.
19 A brother who has been insulted is harder to win back than a walled city.
And arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.
20 What you say affects how you live.
You will be rewarded by how you speak.
21 What you say can mean life or death.
Those who love to talk will be rewarded for what they say.
22 A man who finds a wife finds something good.
She shows that the Lord is pleased with him.
23 Poor people beg for mercy.
Rich people give rude answers.
24 Some friends may ruin you.
But a real friend will be more loyal than a brother.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.