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Proverbs 18
Easy-to-Read Version
Proverbs 18
Easy-to-Read Version
18 Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice.
2 Fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas.
3 Do something evil, and people will hate you. Do something shameful, and they will have no respect for you.
4 Words from wise people are like water bubbling up from a deep well—the well of wisdom.
5 You must be fair in judging others. It is wrong to favor the guilty and rob the innocent of justice.
6 Fools say things to start arguments. They are just asking for a beating.
7 Fools hurt themselves when they speak. Their own words trap them.
8 People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach.
9 Someone who does careless work is as bad as someone who destroys things.
10 The name of the Lord is like a strong tower. Those who do what is right can run to him for protection.
11 The rich think their wealth will protect them. They think it is a strong fortress.
12 A proud person will soon be ruined, but a humble person will be honored.
13 Let people finish speaking before you try to answer them. That way you will not embarrass yourself and look foolish.
14 A good attitude will support you when you are sick, but if you give up, nothing can help.[a]
15 Wise people want to learn more, so they listen closely to gain knowledge.
16 Gifts can open many doors and help you meet important people.
17 The first person to speak always seems right until someone comes and asks the right questions.
18 The best way to settle an argument between two powerful people may be to use lots.
19 An insulted brother is harder to win back than a city with strong walls. Arguments separate people like the strong bars of a palace gate.
20 Your words can be as satisfying as fruit, as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach.
21 The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.
22 If you find a wife, you have found something good. She shows that the Lord is happy with you.
23 The poor are polite when they beg for help. The rich are rude with their answer.
24 Some friends are fun to be with,[b] but a true friend can be better than a brother.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:14 help Literally, “lift up” or “heal.”
- Proverbs 18:24 Some friends … with Or “Some friends can bring disaster.”
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)
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.