1 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He quarrels against all sound wisdom.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding,
But in revealing his own mind.
3 When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
And with dishonor comes taunting.
4 The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters;
The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to suppress the righteous in judgment.
6 A fool’s lips bring strife,
And his mouth invites beatings.
7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.
9 He also who is lax in his work
Is a brother to him who destroys.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is safe.
11 A rich person’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
12 Before destruction the heart of a person is haughty,
But humility goes before honor.
13 One who gives an answer before he hears,
It is foolishness and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a person can endure his sickness,
But as for a broken spirit, who can endure it?
15 The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 A person’s gift makes room for him
And brings him before great people.
17 The first to plead his case seems right,
Until another comes and examines him.
18 The cast lot puts an end to quarrels,
And decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And quarrels are like the bars of a citadel.
20 With the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor from the Lord.
23 A poor person utters pleadings,
But a rich person answers defiantly.
24 A person of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
1 Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First, that they were entrusted with the actual words of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written:
“So that You are justified in Your words,
And prevail when You are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.) 6 Far from it! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let’s do evil that good may come of it”? Their condemnation is deserved.
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written:
“There is no righteous person, not even one;
11 There is no one who understands,
There is no one who seeks out God;
12 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The venom of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And they have not known the way of peace.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.