1孤傲者独求己愿，
他恼恨一切真知。
2愚人不喜欢悟性，
只喜欢发表意见。
3邪恶与藐视同行，
无耻与羞辱为伴。
4人口中的话如同深水，
智慧之泉像涓涓溪流。
5袒护恶人不好，
冤枉义人不善。
6愚人说话引起纷争，
他的口招来鞭打。
7愚人的口自招灭亡，
他的嘴坑害他自己。
8闲言碎语如同美食，
深入人的五脏六腑。
9懒惰人与毁坏者意气相投。
10耶和华的名是坚固保障，
义人投奔其中就得安稳。
11钱财是富人的坚城，
在他幻想中是高墙。
12骄傲是败亡的前奏，
谦卑是尊荣的先锋。
13未听先答的人，
自显愚昧和羞辱。
14人的心灵能忍受疾病，
谁能忍受破碎的心灵？
15哲士的心得知识，
智者的耳求知识。
16礼物为人开路，
领人晋见权贵。
17先告状的看似有理，
一经对质真相大白。
18抽签可以平息争端，
调解强者间的纠纷。
19与结怨的兄弟和解比攻城还难，
争端难破，如坚城的门闩。
20人因口中所说的话而饱足，
因嘴中所出的言语而满足。
21口舌能够定生死，
多嘴多言食恶果。
22得到妻子就是得到珍宝，
也是蒙了耶和华的恩惠。
23穷人哀声恳求，
富人恶言相向。
24滥交友，自招损；
得知己，胜手足。
1An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.
3When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
5It is not good to be partial to the wicked
and so deprive the innocent of justice.
6The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
7The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
8The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
9One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.
10The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.
11The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
13To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.
14The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18Casting the lot settles disputes
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
21The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord.
23The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
