Proverbs 18

Words Kill, Words Give Life

¹18Loners who care only for themselves

spit on the common good.

²Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;

all they do is run off at the mouth.

³When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind;

contempt for life is contemptible.

⁴Many words rush along like rivers in flood,

but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

⁵It’s not right to go easy on the guilty,

or come down hard on the innocent.

⁶The words of a fool start fights;

do him a favor and gag him.

⁷Fools are undone by their big mouths;

their souls are crushed by their words.

⁸Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;

do you really want junk like that in your belly?

⁹Slack habits and sloppy work

are as bad as vandalism.

¹⁰God’s name is a place of protection—

good people can run there and be safe.

¹¹The rich think their wealth protects them;

they imagine themselves safe behind it.

¹²Pride first, then the crash,

but humility is precursor to honor.

¹³Answering before listening

is both stupid and rude.

¹⁴A healthy spirit conquers adversity,

but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?

¹⁵Wise men and women are always learning,

always listening for fresh insights.

¹⁶A gift gets attention;

it buys the attention of eminent people.

¹⁷The first speech in a court case is always convincing—

until the cross-examination starts!

¹⁸You may have to draw straws

when faced with a tough decision.

¹⁹Do a favor and win a friend forever;

nothing can untie that bond.

²⁰Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;

good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

²¹Words kill, words give life;

they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

²²Find a good spouse, you find a good life—

and even more: the favor of God!

²³The poor speak in soft supplications;

the rich bark out answers.

²⁴Friends come and friends go,

but a true friend sticks by you like family.