Proverbs 18:5-22

⁵It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to decline from the truth of judgment.

⁶The lips of a fool intermeddle with strife: and his mouth provoketh quarrels.

⁷The mouth of a fool is his destruction: and his lips are the ruin of his soul.

⁸The words of the double tongued are as if they were harmless: and they reach even to the inner parts of the bowels. Fear casteth down the slothful: and the souls of the effeminate shall be hungry.

⁹He that is loose and slack in his work, is the brother of him that wasteth his own works.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the just runneth to it, and shall be exalted.

¹¹The substance of the rich man is the city of his strength, and as a strong wall compassing him about.

¹²Before destruction, the heart of a man is exalted: and before he be glorified, it is humbled.

¹³He that answereth before he heareth sheweth himself to be a fool, and worthy of confusion.

¹⁴The spirit of a man upholdeth his infirmity: but a spirit that is easily angered, who can bear?

¹⁵A wise heart shall acquire knowledge: and the ear of the wise seeketh instruction.

¹⁶A man’s gift enlargeth his may, and maketh him room before princes.

¹⁷The just is first accuser of himself: his friend cometh, and shall search him.

¹⁸The lot suppresseth contentions, and determineth even between the mighty.

¹⁹A brother that is helped by his brother, is like a strong city: and judgments are like the bars of cities.

²⁰Of the fruit of a man’s mouth shall his belly be satisfied: and the offspring of his lips shall fill him.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue: they that love it, shall eat the fruits thereof.

²²He that hath found a good wife, hath found a good thing, and shall receive a pleasure from the Lord. He that driveth away a good wife, driveth away a good thing: but he that keepeth an adulteress, is foolish and wicked.