Immerse: Poets Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 239
18:17–19:8
P ro v er b s
The first to speak in court sounds right—
until the cross-examination begins.
Flipping a coin can end arguments;
it settles disputes between powerful opponents.
An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.
Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.
Wise words satisfy like a good meal;
the right words bring satisfaction.
The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
and he receives favor from the Lord.
The poor plead for mercy;
the rich answer with insults.
There are “friends” who destroy each other,
but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
Better to be poor and honest
than to be dishonest and a fool.
Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;
haste makes mistakes.
People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
and then are angry at the Lord.
Wealth makes many “friends”;
poverty drives them all away.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
nor will a liar escape.
Many seek favors from a ruler;
everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!
The relatives of the poor despise them;
how much more will their friends avoid them!
Though the poor plead with them,
their friends are gone.
To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;
people who cherish understanding will prosper.
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