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Proverbs 18
Expanded Bible
Proverbs 18
Expanded Bible
18 ·Unfriendly [Antisocial; Lonely] people ·are selfish [L seek their own longings/desires]
and ·hate [L break out against] all good sense.
2 Fools do not ·want to understand anything [L delight in understanding].
They only want to ·tell others what they think [L reveal/disclose their heart].
3 Do something evil, and people won’t like you.
Do something shameful, and they will ·make fun of [insult] you.
4 ·Spoken words [L The words of a person’s mouth] can be like deep water,
·but [or and] the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream.
5 It is not good to ·honor [or show favor to] the wicked
or to be unfair to the innocent.
6 The ·words [L lips] of fools ·start quarrels [or make accusations].
·They make people want to beat them [L Their mouth invites a beating].
7 The ·words [L mouth] of fools will ruin them;
their own ·words [L lips] will trap them.
8 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.
·People like to gobble them up [L They go down to one’s inmost parts].
9 A person who doesn’t work hard
is ·just like someone who destroys things [L a brother to a destroyer].
10 The name of the Lord is like a strong tower;
·those who do right [the righteous] can run to him for ·safety [refuge].
11 Rich people trust their wealth like a strong city.
They think it is like the high walls.
12 Proud people will be ruined,
but ·the humble will be honored [humility comes before glory].
13 Anyone who answers without listening
is foolish and ·confused [or a disgrace].
14 The ·will to live [L human spirit] can get you through sickness,
but ·no one can live with [L who can bear…?] a broken spirit.
15 The ·mind [heart] of a person with understanding gets knowledge;
the ·wise person listens to learn more [L ear of the wise seeks knowledge].
16 Taking gifts to important people
will help get you in to see them.
17 The person who ·tells one side of [first tells] a story seems right,
until ·someone else [his friend/neighbor] comes and asks questions.
18 Throwing lots can settle arguments
and ·keep the two sides from fighting [is decisive against powerful people].
19 A brother who has been ·insulted [offended] is harder to win back than a walled city,
and arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.
20 ·People will be rewarded for what they say [L From the fruit of the mouth of a person is their stomach satisfied];
·they will be rewarded by how they speak [L the yield/gain of their lips satisfies].
21 ·What you say can mean [L In the power of the tongue are] life or death.
Those who ·speak with care [love it] will ·be rewarded [L eat its fruit].
22 When a man finds a wife, he finds something good.
It shows that the Lord ·is pleased with [favors] him.
23 The poor beg for mercy,
but the rich give ·rude [harsh] answers.
24 Some friends may ruin you,
but a real friend will ·be more loyal [cling closer] than a brother.
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)
Proverbs 18
King James Version
Proverbs 18
King James Version
18 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.
4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.
12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?
15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.
18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.
19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
23 The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.
24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.