Proverbs 18:5–9

5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked

and so deprive the innocent of justice.

6 The lips of fools bring them strife,

and their mouths invite a beating.

7 The mouths of fools are their undoing,

and their lips are a snare to their very lives.

8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;

they go down to the inmost parts.

9 One who is slack in his work

is brother to one who destroys.

5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the righteous of justice.

6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites a beating.

7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

9 Whoever is slack in his work

is a brother to him who destroys.

5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked,

To overthrow the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,

And his mouth calleth for strokes.

7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds,

And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

9 He also that is slothful in his work

Is brother to him that is a great waster.

5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,

Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,

And his mouth calls for blows.

7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,

And they go down into the inmost body.

9 He who is slothful in his work

Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

5 It is not good to honor the wicked

or to be unfair to the innocent.

6 The words of fools start quarrels.

They make people want to beat them.

7 The words of fools will ruin them;

their own words will trap them.

8 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.

People like to gobble them up.

9 A person who doesn’t work hard

is just like someone who destroys things.

5 To respect the person of the wicked is not good,

Nor to turn aside the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,

And his mouth calleth for stripes.

7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels,

And they go down into the innermost parts.

9 He also that is slack in his work

Is brother to him that is a destroyer.

5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to wrong the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for stripes. 7 A fool’s mouth is destruction to him, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 The words of a talebearer are as dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

9 He also who is indolent in his work is brother of the destroyer.

5 It is not good to be partial toward a wicked person, 

thereby depriving an innocent person of justice. 

6 By talking, a fool gets into an argument, 

and his mouth invites a beating. 

7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin. 

His lips are a trap to his soul. 

8 The words of a gossip are swallowed greedily, 

and they go down into a person’s innermost being. 

9 Whoever is lazy in his work is related to a vandal. 

5 It is not good to show partiality to the guilty

by perverting the justice due the innocent.

6 A fool’s lips lead to strife,

and his mouth provokes a beating.

7 A fool’s mouth is his devastation,

and his lips are a trap for his life.

8 A gossip’s words are like choice food

that goes down to one’s innermost being.

9 The one who is truly lazy in his work

is brother to a vandal.

5 It is not right to be partial to the guilty

or to subvert the innocent in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips bring strife,

and a fool’s mouth invites a flogging.

7 The mouths of fools are their ruin,

and their lips a snare to themselves.

8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

9 One who is slack in work

is close kin to a vandal.

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.

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 of destruction.

5 It isn’t good to favor those who do wrong.

And it isn’t good to hold back what is fair from those who aren’t guilty.

6 What a foolish person says leads to arguing.

He is just asking for a beating.

7 The words of a foolish person drag him down.

He is trapped by what he says.

8 The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food.

They go deep down inside you.

9 Anyone who doesn’t want to work

is like someone who destroys.

5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good,

Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips bring strife,

And his mouth calls for blows.

7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

9 He also who is slack in his work

Is brother to him who destroys.