Proverbs 18
A person who wants to end a friendship will find excuses, and the foolish do not accept wise advice unless it aligns with their own thoughts. The words of a wise person are like a deep, overflowing fountain, and it is not good to associate with the wicked. A person's words can be their own destruction, and the name of the Lord is a strong tower for the righteous. A prudent heart seeks knowledge, and a person's gift can open doors for them.
1Whoever has a will to withdraw from a friend, seeks occasions; he shall be reproached at all times2The foolish do not accept words of prudence, unless you say what is already turning in his heart3The impious, when he has arrived within the depths of sin, thinks little of it. But ill repute and disgrace follow him4Words from the mouth of a man are deep waters. And the fountain of wisdom is a torrent overflowing5It is not good to accept the character of the impious, so as to turn away from true judgment6The lips of the foolish meddle in disputes. And his mouth provokes conflicts7The mouth of the foolish is his destruction, and his own lips are the ruin of his soul8The words of the double-tongued seem simple. And they reach even to the interior of the gut. Fear casts down the lazy, but the souls of the effeminate shall go hungry9Whoever is dissolute and slack in his work is the brother of him who wastes his own works10The name of the Lord is a very strong tower. The just one rushes to it, and he shall be exalted11The substance of the wealthy is the city of his strength, and it is like a strong wall encircling him12The heart of a man is exalted before it is crushed and humbled before it is glorified13Whoever responds before he listens, demonstrates himself to be foolish and deserving of confusion14The spirit of a man sustains his weakness. Yet who can sustain a spirit that is easily angered15A prudent heart shall possess knowledge. And the ear of the wise seeks doctrine16A man’s gift expands his way and makes space for him before leaders17The just is the first accuser of himself; his friend arrives and shall investigate him18Casting a lot suppresses contentions and passes judgment, even among the powerful19A brother who is helped by a brother is like a reinforced city, and judgments are like the bars of cities20From the fruit of a man’s mouth shall his belly be filled. And the harvest of his own lips shall satisfy him21Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Whoever values it shall eat from its fruits22He who has found a good wife has found goodness, and he shall draw contentment from the Lord. He who expels a good wife expels goodness. But he who holds on to an adulteress is foolish and impious23The poor will speak with supplications. And the rich will express themselves roughly24A man amiable to society shall be more friendly than a brother
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