18
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
1 He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He
1Aquarrels against all sound wisdom.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding,
But only
Ain revealing his own
1mind.
3 When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes,
And with dishonor comes scorn.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are
Adeep waters;
1The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 To
Ashow partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to
Bthrust aside the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool’s lips
1bring strife,
And his mouth calls for
Ablows.
7 A
Afool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the
1innermost parts of the body.
9 He also who is
Aslack in his work
BIs brother to him who destroys.
10 The
Aname of the Loʀᴅ is a
Bstrong tower;
The righteous runs into it and
Cis
1safe.
11 A
Arich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
12 ABefore destruction the heart of man is haughty,
But
Bhumility
goes before honor.
13 He who
Agives an answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The
Aspirit of a man can endure his sickness,
But
as for a
Bbroken spirit who can bear it?
15 The
1Amind of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the
Bear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A man’s
Agift makes room for him
And brings him before great men.
17 The first
1to plead his case
seems right,
Until 2another comes and examines him.
18 The
cast Alot puts an end to strife
And
1decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
20 With the
1Afruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
BHe will be satisfied
with the product of his lips.
21 ADeath and life are in the
1power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its
Bfruit.
22 He who finds a
Awife finds a good thing
And
Bobtains favor from the Loʀᴅ.
23 The
Apoor man utters supplications,
But the
Brich man
Canswers roughly.
24 A man of
too many friends
comes to
1ruin,
But there is
Aa
2friend who sticks closer than a brother.