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Proverbs 18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Proverbs 18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 18
1 One who is alienated seeks a pretext,
with all persistence picks a quarrel.
2 Fools take no delight in understanding,
but only in displaying what they think.[a]
3 With wickedness comes contempt,
and with disgrace, scorn.
4 The words of one’s mouth are deep waters,
the spring of wisdom, a running brook.[b](A)
5 It is not good to favor the guilty,
nor to reject the claim of the just.(B)
6 The lips of fools walk into a fight,
and their mouths are asking for a beating.[c]
7 The mouths of fools are their ruin;
their lips are a deadly snare.(C)
8 The words of a talebearer are like dainty morsels:
they sink into one’s inmost being.(D)
9 Those slack in their work
are kin to the destroyer.
10 [d]The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the just run to it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city;(E)
they fancy it a high wall.
12 Before disaster the heart is haughty,(F)
but before honor is humility.
13 Whoever answers before listening,(G)
theirs is folly and shame.[e]
14 One’s spirit supports one when ill,
but a broken spirit who can bear?[f]
15 The heart of the intelligent acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.[g]
16 Gifts clear the way for people,
winning access to the great.(H)
17 Those who plead the case first seem to be in the right;
then the opponent comes and cross-examines them.[h]
18 The lot puts an end to disputes,
and decides a controversy between the mighty.[i]
19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a stronghold;
such strife is more daunting than castle gates.[j]
20 With the fruit of one’s mouth one’s belly is filled,
with the produce of one’s lips one is sated.[k](I)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue;(J)
those who choose one shall eat its fruit.[l]
22 To find a wife is to find happiness,
a favor granted by the Lord.(K)
23 The poor implore,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 There are friends who bring ruin,
but there are true friends more loyal than a brother.(L)
Footnotes
- 18:2 One grows in wisdom by listening to others, but fools take delight in expounding the contents of their minds.
- 18:4 Words express a person’s thoughts (“deep waters”), which in turn become accessible to others. Cf. 20:5a.
- 18:6 The bold personification of lips and mouth is similar to Ps 73:9, “They set their mouths against the heavens, their tongues roam the earth.” Careless words can lead one into serious trouble.
- 18:10–11 Contrast this judgment with the observation in 10:15.
- 18:13 To speak without first listening is characteristic of a fool; cf. 10:14; Sir 11:8.
- 18:14 The paradox is that something as slight as a column of air offers protection against the encroachment of death. If it is stilled, nothing, no matter how powerful, can substitute for it.
- 18:15 “Knowledge” here refers to what one knows, not knowledge in itself. The mind acquires and stores it, the ear strains toward it.
- 18:17 A persuasive speech in court can easily make one forget there is another side to the question. When the other party speaks, people realize they made a premature judgment. The experience at court is a lesson for daily life: there are two sides to every question.
- 18:18 See note on 16:33.
- 18:19 The Greek version, followed by several ancient versions, has the opposite meaning: “A brother helped by a brother is like a strong and lofty city; it is strong like a well-founded palace.” The Greek is secondary as is shown by the need to supply the phrase “by a brother”; further, the parallelism is inadequate. The Hebrew is to be preferred.
- 18:20 Fruit from the earth is our ordinary sustenance, but “the fruit of one’s lips,” i.e., our words, also affect our well-being. If our words and our deeds are right, then we are blessed, our “belly is filled.”
- 18:21 This enigmatic saying has provoked many interpretations, e.g., judicious speech brings a reward; those who love the tongue in the sense of rattling on must face the consequences of their loquacity. This translation interprets the verb “love” in colon B in its occasional sense of “choose” (e.g., 12:1; 20:13; Dt 4:37) and interprets its pronominal object as referring to both death and life in colon A. Death and life are set before every person (cf. Dt 30:15–20) and we have the power to choose either one by the quality of our deeds. Words (= “the tongue”) are regarded here as the defining actions of human beings.
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)
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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