Proverbs 18

¹A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness,

and defies all sound judgement.

²A fool has no delight in understanding,

but only in revealing his own opinion.

³When wickedness comes, contempt also comes,

and with shame comes disgrace.

⁴The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters.

The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.

⁵To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good,

nor to deprive the innocent of justice.

⁶A fool’s lips come into strife,

and his mouth invites beatings.

⁷A fool’s mouth is his destruction,

and his lips are a snare to his soul.

⁸The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels:

they go down into a person’s innermost parts.

⁹One who is slack in his work

is brother to him who is a master of destruction.

¹⁰The LORD’s name is a strong tower:

the righteous run to him, and are safe.

¹¹The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.

¹²Before destruction the heart of man is proud,

but before honour is humility.

¹³He who answers before he hears,

that is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness,

but a crushed spirit, who can bear?

¹⁵The heart of the discerning gets knowledge.

The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

¹⁶A man’s gift makes room for him,

and brings him before great men.

¹⁷He who pleads his cause first seems right—

until another comes and questions him.

¹⁸The lot settles disputes,

and keeps strong ones apart.

¹⁹A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city.

Disputes are like the bars of a fortress.

²⁰A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth.

With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue;

those who love it will eat its fruit.

²²Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing,

and obtains favour of the LORD.

²³The poor plead for mercy,

but the rich answer harshly.

²⁴A man of many companions may be ruined,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.