Pro 18 | LSB | STEP | He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He breaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.

Proverbs 18

1 He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He breaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.
2 A fool does not delight in discernment,
But only in revealing his own heart.
3 When a wicked man comes, despising also comes,
And with disgrace comes reproach.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
^{▼▼ Or A bubbling brook, a fountain of wisdom}The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.
5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool’s lips come with strife,
And his mouth calls for beatings.
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 ^{▼▼Lit chambers of the belly}innermost parts of the stomach.
9 He also who is slack in his work
Is brother to him who destroys.
10 The name of Yahweh is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is set securely on high.
11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own delusion.
12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
But humility goes before glory.
13 He who responds with a word before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man can endure his sickness,
But as for a broken spirit, who can bear it?
15 The heart of the understanding acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man’s gift makes room for him
And leads him into the presence of great men.
17 The first ^{▼▼Lit in his plea}to plead his case seems right,
Until ^{▼▼Lit his neighbor}another comes and examines him.
18 The cast lot puts an end to contentions
And ^{▼▼Lit makes a division}decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
20 From the ^▼▼Speechfruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
With the produce of his lips he will be satisfied.
21 Death and life are in the ^{▼▼Lit hand}power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor from Yahweh.
23 The poor man speaks supplications,
But the rich man answers with strong words.
24 A man of too many friends comes to ^{▼▼Lit be broken in pieces}ruin,
But there is a ^{▼▼Or lover}friend who sticks closer than a brother.