Becker Bible Teacher Resources

Proverbs 18:1-24

Moral, ethical, and spiritual precepts

1 ¶ Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh [and] intermeddleth with all wisdom.

 2 ¶ A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

 3 ¶ When the wicked cometh, [then] cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

 4 ¶ The words of a man’s mouth [are as] deep waters, [and] the wellspring of wisdom [as] a flowing brook.

 5 ¶ [It is] not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

 6 ¶ A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. 7 A fool’s mouth [is] his destruction, and his lips [are] the snare of his soul.

 8 ¶ The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

 9 ¶ He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

 10 ¶ The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

 11 ¶ The rich man’s wealth [is] his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

 12 ¶ Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour [is] humility.

 13 ¶ He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it], it [is] folly and shame unto him.

 14 ¶ The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

 15 ¶ The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

 16 ¶ A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

 17 ¶ [He that is] first in his own cause [seemeth] just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

 18 ¶ The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.

 19 ¶ A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city: and [their] contentions [are] like the bars of a castle.

 20 ¶ A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; [and] with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

 21 ¶ Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

 22 ¶ [Whoso] findeth a wife findeth a good [thing], and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

 23 ¶ The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. 24 ¶ A man [that hath] friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother.

1      לְֽ֭תַאֲוָה יְבַקֵּ֣שׁ נִפְרָ֑ד בְּכָל־תּ֝וּשִׁיָּ֗ה יִתְגַּלָּֽע׃
2      לֹֽא־יַחְפֹּ֣ץ כְּ֭סִיל בִּתְבוּנָ֑ה כִּ֝֗י אִֽם־בְּהִתְגַּלּ֥וֹת לִבֹּֽו׃
3      בְּֽבוֹא־רָ֭שָׁע בָּ֣א גַם־בּ֑וּז וְֽעִם־קָל֥וֹן חֶרְפָּֽה׃
4      מַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים דִּבְרֵ֣י פִי־אִ֑ישׁ נַ֥חַל נֹ֝בֵ֗עַ מְק֣וֹר חָכְמָֽה׃
5      שְׂאֵ֣ת פְּנֵי־רָשָׁ֣ע לֹא־ט֑וֹב לְהַטּ֥וֹת צַ֝דִּ֗יק בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃
6      שִׂפְתֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל יָבֹ֣אֽוּ בְרִ֑יב וּ֝פִ֗יו לְֽמַהֲלֻמ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽא׃
7      פִּֽי־כְ֭סִיל מְחִתָּה־ל֑וֹ וּ֝שְׂפָתָ֗יו מוֹקֵ֥שׁ נַפְשֹֽׁו׃
8      דִּבְרֵ֣י נִ֭רְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים וְ֝הֵ֗ם יָרְד֥וּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃
9      גַּ֭ם מִתְרַפֶּ֣ה בִמְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ אָ֥ח ה֝֗וּא לְבַ֣עַל מַשְׁחִֽית׃
10      מִגְדַּל־עֹ֭ז שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה בּֽוֹ־יָר֖וּץ צַדִּ֣יק וְנִשְׂגָּֽב׃
11      ה֣וֹן עָ֭שִׁיר קִרְיַ֣ת עֻזּ֑וֹ וּכְחוֹמָ֥ה נִ֝שְׂגָּבָ֗ה בְּמַשְׂכִּיתֽוֹ׃
12      לִפְנֵי־שֶׁ֭בֶר יִגְבַּ֣הּ לֵב־אִ֑ישׁ וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָב֣וֹד עֲנָוָֽה׃
13      מֵשִׁ֣יב דָּ֭בָר בְּטֶ֣רֶם יִשְׁמָ֑ע אִוֶּ֥לֶת הִיא־ל֝וֹ֗ וּכְלִמָּֽה׃
14      רֽוּחַ־אִ֭ישׁ יְכַלְכֵּ֣ל מַחֲלֵ֑הוּ וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה מִ֣י יִשָּׂאֶֽנָּה׃
15      לֵ֣ב נָ֭בוֹן יִקְנֶה־דָּ֑עַת וְאֹ֥זֶן חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים תְּבַקֶּשׁ־דָּֽעַת׃
16      מַתָּ֣ן אָ֭דָם יַרְחִ֣יב ל֑וֹ וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְדֹלִ֣ים יַנְחֶֽנּוּ׃
17      צַדִּ֣יק הָרִאשׁ֣וֹן בְּרִיב֑וֹ יָבֹא־רֵ֝עֵ֗הוּ וַחֲקָרֹֽו׃
18      מִ֭דְיָנִים יַשְׁבִּ֣ית הַגּוֹרָ֑ל וּבֵ֖ין עֲצוּמִ֣ים יַפְרִֽיד׃
19      אָ֗ח נִפְשָׁ֥ע מִקִּרְיַת־עֹ֑ז וּמְדוֹנִים כִּבְרִ֥יחַ אַרְמֽוֹן׃
20      מִפְּרִ֣י פִי־אִ֭ישׁ תִּשְׂבַּ֣ע בִּטְנ֑וֹ תְּבוּאַ֖ת שְׂפָתָ֣יו יִשְׂבָּֽע׃
21      מָ֣וֶת וְ֭חַיִּים בְּיַד־לָשׁ֑וֹן וְ֝אֹהֲבֶ֗יהָ יֹאכַ֥ל פִּרְיָֽהּ׃
22      מָצָ֣א אִ֭שָּׁה מָ֣צָא ט֑וֹב וַיָּ֥פֶק רָ֝צ֗וֹן מֵיְהוָֽה׃
23      תַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים יְדַבֶּר־רָ֑שׁ וְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר יַעֲנֶ֥ה עַזּֽוֹת׃
24      אִ֣ישׁ רֵ֭עִים לְהִתְרֹעֵ֑עַ וְיֵ֥שׁ אֹ֝הֵ֗ב דָּבֵ֥ק מֵאָֽח׃

The Lexham Hebrew Bible (Logos Bible Software, 2012), Pr 18:1–24.