Proverbs 18

18People who do not get along with others are interested only in themselves; they will disagree with what everyone else knows is right.

²A fool does not care whether he understands a thing or not; all he wants to do is to show how clever he is.

³Sin and shame go together. Lose your honour, and you will get scorn in its place.

⁴A person’s words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream.

⁵It is not right to favour the guilty and prevent the innocent from receiving justice.

⁶When some fool starts an argument, he is asking for a beating.

⁷When a fool speaks, he is ruining himself; he gets caught in the trap of his own words.

⁸Gossip is so tasty—how we love to swallow it!

⁹A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive.

¹⁰The Lord is like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe. ¹¹Rich people, however, imagine that their wealth protects them like high, strong walls round a city.

¹²No one is respected unless he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin.

¹³Listen before you answer. If you don’t you are being stupid and insulting.

¹⁴Your will to live can sustain you when you are sick, but if you lose it, your last hope is gone.

¹⁵Intelligent people are always eager and ready to learn.

¹⁶Do you want to meet an important person? Take a gift and it will be easy.

¹⁷The first to speak in court always seems right until his opponent begins to question him.

¹⁸If two powerful men are opposing each other in court, casting lots can settle the issue.

¹⁹Help your relatives and they will protect you like a strong city wall,^e but if you quarrel with them, they will close their doors to you.

²⁰You will have to live with the consequences of everything you say. ²¹What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.

²²Find a wife and you find a good thing; it shows that the Lord is good to you.

²³When the poor speak, they have to beg politely, but when the rich answer, they are rude.

²⁴Some friendships do^f not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers.