Chapter
Verse

Proverbs chapter 18

English Standard Version

1Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. 2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. 3When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. 4The words of a man 's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. 6A fool 's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. 7 A fool 's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. 9Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. 10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. 11 A rich man 's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination. 12 Before destruction a man 's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. 13If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. 14A man 's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? 15An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16A man 's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great. 17The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. 18 The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders. 19A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle. 20 From the fruit of a man 's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. 22He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. 23The poor use entreaties, but the rich answer roughly. 24A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
New International Version

New American Standard Bible

1One who separates himself seeks his own desire; He quarrels against all sound wisdom. 2A fool does not delight in understanding, But in revealing his own mind. 3When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes, And with dishonor comes taunting. 4The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Nor to suppress the righteous in judgment. 6A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth invites beatings. 7A fool’s mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul. 8The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. 9He also who is lax in his work Is a brother to him who destroys. 10The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. 11A rich person’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. 12Before destruction the heart of a person is haughty, But humility goes before honor. 13One who gives an answer before he hears, It is foolishness and shame to him. 14The spirit of a person can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit, who can endure it? 15The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16A person’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great people. 17The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him. 18The cast lot puts an end to quarrels, And decides between the mighty ones. 19A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And quarrels are like the bars of a citadel. 20With the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. 21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 22He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the Lord. 23A poor person utters pleadings, But a rich person answers defiantly. 24A person of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

King James Version

New King James Version

1A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. 2A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. 3When the wicked comes, contempt comes also; And with dishonor comes reproach. 4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. 5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. 6A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. 7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. 8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. 9He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. 10The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. 11The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem. 12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. 13He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. 14The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit? 15The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16 A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. 17The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him. 18Casting lots causes contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart. 19A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle. 20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord. 23The poor man uses entreaties, But the rich answers roughly. 24A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

What does Proverbs chapter 18 mean?

The first nine statements of this passage mostly revolve around the need for discernment in judgment and speech. A person who refuses to seek additional wisdom from others is fighting against truth. This is connected to the modern concept of the "echo chamber" and the person who is only interested in justifying their own views. A characteristic of foolishness is the inability to control one's speech. This can lead to a damaged reputation, or even physical violence from someone who's been offended. Solomon also stresses the importance of fairness in matters of justice, the dangers of laziness, and the insidious nature of gossip (Proverbs 18:1–9).

Humility and a sincere search for truth are common themes in the next several proverbs. God's "name," meaning His character, nature, and promises, is compared to a place of safety. In contrast, people often fool themselves into thinking that money or their own ability are reliable foundations. Not only should a person be humble in their personal life, but they should apply the same attitude towards matters of judgment. Many claims sound convincing, at first, only to fall apart under scrutiny. A wiser person tries to find out more information, rather than arrogantly jumping to conclusions. This passage also includes a remark about the supreme importance of hope. A person can get through almost any hardship, but once someone loses hope, they are truly crushed and defeated (Proverbs 18:10–15).

The last segment of this chapter gives observations about perception and relationships. Wealth can make others more receptive, and unfortunately often lets a person "get away" with being rude or entitled. Solomon provides warnings about undue conflict. He notes the enhanced bitterness which comes when close friends and family have a "falling out." Several proverbs mention objectivity and the need to carefully guard one's speech. An especially famous phrase at the end of this chapter notes that true friends can be more loyal than even one's own family (Proverbs 18:16–24).
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app: