18:1 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
18:2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
18:3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach.
18:4 The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice.
18:6 The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating.
18:7 The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
18:9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.
18:10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
18:11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
18:12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
18:13 To answer before listening - that is folly and shame.
18:14 The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.
18:16 A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
18:17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18:18 Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.
18:19 A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
18:20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
18:22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
18:23 The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
18:24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.