1 He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, || He interferes with all wisdom. 2 A fool does not delight in understanding, || But in uncovering his heart. 3 Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, || And with shame—reproach. 4 The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, || The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook. 5 Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, || To turn aside the righteous in judgment. 6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, || And his mouth calls for stripes. 7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, || And his lips [are] the snare of his soul. 8 The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, || And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart. 9 He also that is remiss in his work, || He [is] a brother to a destroyer. 10 The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, || The righteous runs into it, and is set on high. 11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, || And as a wall set on high in his own imagination. 12 The heart of man is high before destruction, || And humility [is] before honor. 13 Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, || It is folly to him—and shame. 14 The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, || And who bears a struck spirit? 15 The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, || And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16 The gift of a man makes room for him, || And it leads him before the great. 17 The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, || [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him. 18 The lot causes contentions to cease, || And it separates between the mighty. 19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, || And contentions as the bar of a palace. 20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth is his belly satisfied, || [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied. 21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, || And those loving it eat its fruit. 22 [Whoever] has found a wife has found good, || And brings out goodwill from YHWH. 23 The poor speaks [with] supplications, || And the rich answers fierce things. 24 A man with friends—to show himself friendly, || And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
Proverbs · Literal Standard Version
Proverbs 18 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (24)
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
- 23 James 2:3; James 1:9–11; Exodus 5:2; James 2:6; 1 Samuel 25:17
- 24 Proverbs 17:17; John 15:13–15; Proverbs 27:9; 2 Samuel 1:26; 1 Samuel 19:4–5
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)