Proverbs 18

Chapter 18

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

¹He who separates himself seeks his own desire,

He ^1aquarrels against all sound wisdom.

²A fool does not delight in understanding,

But only ^ain revealing his own ¹mind.

³When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes,

And with dishonor comes scorn.

⁴The words of a man’s mouth are ^adeep waters;

¹The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

⁵To ^ashow partiality to the wicked is not good,

Nor to ^bthrust aside the righteous in judgment.

⁶A fool’s lips ¹bring strife,

And his mouth calls for ^ablows.

⁷A ^afool’s mouth is his ruin,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

⁸The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the ¹innermost parts of the body.

⁹He also who is ^aslack in his work

^bIs brother to him who destroys.

¹⁰The ^aname of the Lord is a ^bstrong tower;

The righteous runs into it and ^cis ¹safe.

¹¹A ^arich man’s wealth is his strong city,

And like a high wall in his own imagination.

^12aBefore destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But ^bhumility goes before honor.

¹³He who ^agives an answer before he hears,

It is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴The ^aspirit of a man can endure his sickness,

But as for a ^bbroken spirit who can bear it?

¹⁵The ^1amind of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the ^bear of the wise seeks knowledge.

¹⁶A man’s ^agift makes room for him

And brings him before great men.

¹⁷The first ¹to plead his case seems right,

Until ²another comes and examines him.

¹⁸The cast ^alot puts an end to strife

And ¹decides between the mighty ones.

¹⁹A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,

And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

²⁰With the ^1afruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;

^bHe will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

^21aDeath and life are in the ¹power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its ^bfruit.

²²He who finds a ^awife finds a good thing

And ^bobtains favor from the Lord.

²³The ^apoor man utters supplications,

But the ^brich man ^canswers roughly.

²⁴A man of too many friends comes to ¹ruin,

But there is ^aa ²friend who sticks closer than a brother.