Proverbs · Brenton's English Septuagint
Proverbs 18 Brenton's English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (2)
- Square brackets mark words Brenton supplied for English sense.
- Old Testament only (no New Testament). First printed 1844; the 1851 edition added the deuterocanonical books.
1 A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach.
1 A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.
2 A senseless man feels no need of wisdom, for he is rather led by folly.
2 A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.
3 When an ungodly man comes into a depth of evils, he despises [them]; but dishonour and reproach come upon him.
3 When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.
4 A word in the heart of a man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
5 [It is] not good to accept the person of the ungodly, nor [is it] holy to pervert justice in judgment.
5 To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
6 The lips of a fool bring [him] into troubles, and his bold mouth calls for death.
6 A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.
7 A fool's mouth is ruin to him, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
8 Fear casts down the slothful; and the souls of the effeminate shall hunger.
8 The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.
9 A man who helps not himself by his labour is brother of him that ruins himself.
9 One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
10 The name of the Lord is of great strength; and the righteous running to it are exalted.
10 Yahweh’s name is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe.
11 The wealth of a rich man is a strong city; and its glory casts a broad shadow.
11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.
12 Before ruin a man's heart is exalted, and before honour it is humble.
12 Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility.
13 Whoso answers a word before he hears [a cause], it is folly and reproach to him.
13 He who answers before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.
14 A wise servant calms a man's anger; but who can endure a faint-hearted man?
14 A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?
15 The heart of the sensible [man] purchases discretion; and the ears of the wise seek understanding.
15 The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man's gift enlarges him, and seats him among princes.
16 A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
17 A righteous man accuses himself at the beginning of his speech, but when he has entered upon the attack, the adversary is reproved.
17 He who pleads his cause first seems right— until another comes and questions him.
18 A silent [man] quells strifes, and determines between great powers.
18 The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.
19 A brother helped by a brother is as a strong and high city; and is [as] strong as a [well]-founded palace.
19 A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city. Disputes are like the bars of a fortress.
20 A man fills his belly with the fruits of his mouth; and he shall be satisfied with the fruits of his lips.
20 A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue; and they that rule it shall eat the fruits thereof.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He that has found a good wife has found favours, and has received gladness from God.
22 Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of Yahweh. 23 The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly. 24 A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
22a [He that puts away a good wife, puts away a good thing, and he that keeps an adulteress is foolish and ungodly.]
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Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ephesians 5:15–17; Proverbs 20:3; Proverbs 2:1–6; Jeremiah 15:17; Proverbs 24:21
- 2 Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 12:23; Psalm 1:1–2; Proverbs 17:16; Proverbs 13:16
- 3 Proverbs 22:10; 1 Peter 4:14; Proverbs 11:2; 1 Peter 4:4; Proverbs 29:16
- 4 Proverbs 20:5; Proverbs 10:11; Colossians 4:6; John 4:14; Proverbs 13:14
- 5 Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 28:21; Psalm 82:2; Proverbs 17:15
- 6 Proverbs 27:3; Proverbs 16:27–28; Proverbs 22:24–25; Proverbs 19:29; Proverbs 25:24
- 7 Proverbs 13:3; Proverbs 12:13; Proverbs 10:14; Psalm 64:8; Psalm 140:9
- 8 Proverbs 12:18; Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 16:28; Proverbs 26:20–22; Psalm 64:3–4
- 9 Proverbs 10:4; Hebrews 6:12; Proverbs 24:30–34; Romans 12:11; Proverbs 23:20–21
- 10 2 Samuel 22:3; Isaiah 26:4; Psalm 91:2; Psalm 144:2; Psalm 61:3–4
- 11 Proverbs 10:15; Ecclesiastes 7:12; Psalm 52:5–7; Luke 12:19–21; Psalm 49:6–9
- 12 Proverbs 15:33; 1 Peter 5:5; Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 16:18; Ezekiel 28:2
- 13 John 7:51; Deuteronomy 13:14; Proverbs 20:25; Job 29:16
- 14 Proverbs 15:13; Proverbs 17:22; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10; 1 Peter 1:6; Psalm 147:3
- 15 James 1:5; Proverbs 15:14; Proverbs 1:5; Proverbs 9:9; Luke 10:39
- 16 Proverbs 19:6; Genesis 43:11; Genesis 33:10; 1 Samuel 25:27; Proverbs 17:8
- 17 Proverbs 18:13
- 18 Proverbs 16:33; Nehemiah 11:1; 1 Samuel 10:21–27; 1 Chronicles 24:31; 1 Samuel 14:42
- 19 Proverbs 16:32; Acts 15:39; Proverbs 6:19; Genesis 37:3–5; 1 Kings 12:16
- 20 Proverbs 25:11–12; Proverbs 12:13–14; Proverbs 13:2; Proverbs 22:18
- 21 Ephesians 4:29; Matthew 12:35–37; Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 10:19–21; James 3:6–9
- 22 Proverbs 19:14; Proverbs 31:10–31; Proverbs 12:4; Ecclesiastes 9:9; 1 Corinthians 7:2
- 22a Proverbs 19:14; Proverbs 31:10–31; Proverbs 12:4; Ecclesiastes 9:9; 1 Corinthians 7:2
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For that is true which is written, "Pride goeth before destruction, and before honor is humility;" that is to say, secret ruin precedes open ruin, while the former is not counted ruin.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Defile it not therefore, lest to thee also He say, "Though ye make many prayers, I will not hearken." Yea, and "in the power of the tongue are death and life;" and, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." I bid thee then watch thy tongue more than the apple of thine …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The hand of God he hath called the power of God: as hath been written in another place, "death and life are in the hands of the tongue." Hath the tongue hands?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)