Read The Message Proverbs 18 Bible Online

Proverbs 18 - The Message bible

Proverbs 18

¹Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good.

²Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth.

³When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind; contempt for life is contemptible.

⁴Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

⁵It’s not right to go easy on the guilty, or come down hard on the innocent.

⁶The words of a fool start fights; do him a favor and gag him.

⁷Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words.

⁸Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly?

⁹Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism.

¹⁰GOD’s name is a place of protection— good people can run there and be safe.

¹¹The rich think their wealth protects them; they imagine themselves safe behind it.

¹²Pride first, then the crash, but humility is precursor to honor.

¹³Answering before listening is both stupid and rude.

¹⁴A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?

¹⁵Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.

¹⁶A gift gets attention; it buys the attention of eminent people.

¹⁷The first speech in a court case is always convincing— until the cross-examination starts!

¹⁸You may have to draw straws when faced with a tough decision.

¹⁹Do a favor and win a friend forever; nothing can untie that bond.

²⁰Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

²¹Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

²²Find a good spouse, you find a good life— and even more: the favor of GOD!

²³The poor speak in soft supplications; the rich bark out answers.

²⁴Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.