Proverbs · Young's Literal Translation
Proverbs 18 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 For [an object of] desire he who is separated doth seek, With all wisdom he intermeddleth.
1 A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.
2 A fool delighteth not in understanding, But — in uncovering his heart.
2 A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.
3 With the coming of the wicked come also hath contempt, And with shame — reproach.
3 When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.
4 Deep waters [are] the words of a man's mouth, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
5 Acceptance of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous 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 enter into strife, And his mouth for stripes calleth.
6 A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.
7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to 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.
8 The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.
9 He also that is remiss in his work, A brother he [is] to a destroyer.
9 One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
10 A tower of strength [is] the name of Jehovah, Into it the righteous runneth, and is set on high.
10 Yahweh’s name is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.
12 Before destruction the heart of man is high, And before honour [is] humility.
12 Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility.
13 Whoso is answering a matter before he heareth, Folly it is to him and shame.
13 He who answers before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man sustaineth his sickness, And a smitten spirit who doth bear?
14 A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?
15 The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
15 The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 The gift of a man maketh room for him, And before the great it leadeth him.
16 A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
17 Righteous [is] the first in his own cause, His neighbour cometh and hath searched him.
17 He who pleads his cause first seems right— until another comes and questions him.
18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, And between the mighty it separateth.
18 The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.
19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
19 A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city. Disputes are like the bars of a fortress.
20 From the fruit of a man's mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
20 A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 [Whoso] hath found a wife hath found good, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
22 Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of Yahweh.
23 [With] supplications doth the poor speak, And the rich answereth fierce things.
23 The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
24 A man with friends [is] to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
24 A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
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)