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Proverbs 18
Evangelical Heritage Version
Proverbs 18
Evangelical Heritage Version
18 A person who is a loner seeks his own desires.
He fights against all sound judgment.
2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding,
but only in revealing his own opinions.
3 When a wicked person comes, contempt comes with him,
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4 The words from a man’s mouth are deep waters.
The fountain of wisdom is a flowing stream.
5 It is not good to show favoritism to a wicked person
in order to deprive a righteous person of justice.
6 A fool’s lips enter a fight,
and his mouth invites a beating.
7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
and his lips are a trap for his soul.[a]
8 The words of a gossip are like delicious food.
People gobble them right down.[b]
9 A person who fails to do his work
is a brother to a vandal.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower.
A righteous person runs inside and is protected.
11 A rich person’s wealth is his strong city.
In his imagination it is like a high wall.
12 Before destruction a man’s heart is proud,
but humility comes before honor.
13 If a person answers before he listens,
that is foolishness that brings disgrace.
14 A man’s spirit can endure illness,
but who can bear a broken spirit?
15 A discerning heart acquires knowledge,
and the ears of the wise seek knowledge.
16 A person’s gift opens doors[c] for him.
It leads him into the presence of great people.
17 The first person to state his case appears to be right.
Then his neighbor comes and cross-examines him.
18 Casting lots[d] ends disputes and decides between powerful people.
19 A brother who has been wronged is harder to regain than a strong city,
and disputes are like a bar across the gate of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth, his stomach is satisfied.
He is satisfied with the harvest of his lips.
21 Life and death lie in the power of a tongue,
and those who love to use it will eat its fruit.
22 The man who finds a wife finds a good thing,
and he obtains favor from the Lord.
23 A poor man pleads for mercy,
but a rich man answers harshly.
24 A man with many acquaintances may suffer harm,
but there is a loving friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:7 Or his life
- Proverbs 18:8 Literally they go down to the rooms of the belly
- Proverbs 18:16 Or makes room
- Proverbs 18:18 This probably does not refer to the Urim and Thummim but to ordinary ways of making a choice, like a coin toss.
Proverbs 18
New International Version
Proverbs 18
New International Version
18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.(A)
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,(B)
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.(E)
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.(H)
9 One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.(I)
11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(L)
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.(M)
13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.(N)
14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?(O)
15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(P)
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 A gift(Q) opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18 Casting the lot settles disputes(R)
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 A brother wronged(S) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.(T)
23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(Y)
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.