Wisdom Gives Life

¹An unfriendly person isolates himself

and seems to care only about his own issues.

For his contempt of sound judgment makes him a recluse.

²Senseless people find no pleasure in acquiring true wisdom,

for all they want to do is impress you with what they know.

³An ungodly man is always cloaked with disgrace,

as dishonor and shame are his companions.

⁴Words of wisdom are like a fresh, flowing brook—[#18:4 Or “Words that touch the heart.”]

like deep waters that spring forth from within,

bubbling up inside the one with understanding.

⁵It is atrocious when judges show favor to the guilty

and deprive the innocent of justice.

⁶A senseless man jumps headfirst into an argument;

he’s just asking for a beating for his reckless words.

⁷A fool has a big mouth that only gets him into trouble,

and he’ll pay the price for what he says.

⁸The words of a gossip merely reveal the wounds of his own soul,[#18:8 Scholars are somewhat uncertain about an exact translation of this phrase. The Aramaic is “The words of a lazy man lead him to fear and evil.”]

and his slander penetrates into the innermost being.

⁹The one who is too lazy to look for work

is the same one who wastes his life away.

¹⁰The character of God is a tower of strength,[#18:10 The Hebrew word migdal , translated as “tower of strength,” has a homonym that can be translated “bed of flowers.”]

for the lovers of God delight to run into his heart

and be exalted on high.

¹¹The rich, in their conceit, imagine that their wealth

is enough to protect them.

It becomes their confidence in a day of trouble.

¹²A man’s heart is the proudest when his downfall is nearest,

for he won’t see glory until the Lord sees humility.

¹³Listen before you speak,

for to speak before you’ve heard the facts will bring humiliation.

¹⁴The will to live sustains you when you’re sick,[#18:14 The Septuagint is “A wise servant can calm a man’s anger.”]

but depression crushes courage and leaves you unable to cope.

¹⁵The spiritually hungry are always ready to learn more,

for their hearts are eager to discover new truths.

¹⁶Would you like to meet a very important person?

Take a generous gift.

It will do wonders to gain entrance into his presence.

¹⁷There are two sides to every story.

The first one to speak sounds true until you hear the other side

and they set the record straight.

¹⁸A coin toss resolves a dispute[#18:18 The Hebrew is “Casting lots.”]

and can put an argument to rest

between formidable opponents.

¹⁹It is easier to conquer a strong city

than to win back a friend whom you’ve offended.

Their walls go up, making it nearly impossible to win them back.

²⁰Sharing words of wisdom is satisfying to your inner being.

It encourages you to know

that you’ve changed someone else’s life.

²¹Your words are so powerful

that they will kill or give life,

and the talkative person will reap the consequences.

²²When a man finds a wife,

he has found a treasure!

For she is the gift of God to bring him joy and pleasure.

But the one who divorces a good woman

loses what is good from his house.

To choose an adulteress is both stupid and ungodly .

²³The poor plead for help from the rich,

but all they get in return is a harsh response.

²⁴Some friendships don’t last for long,[#18:24 Or “A man with too many friends may be broken to pieces.”]

but there is one loving friend who is joined to your heart

closer than any other!