But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand. A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.

The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth,

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue.

Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.

A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

In the same way, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed to have nothing bad to say about us.

Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come. Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. . . .

By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.

But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,

For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.”

Abstain from every form of evil.

With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be! Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him. The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight, and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity. To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young, let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel . . .

Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.”

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can guide the whole animal. Consider ships as well. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot is inclined. In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. . . .

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.

In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed to have nothing bad to say about us.

He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery lie in their wake, and the way of peace they have not known.” . . .

Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.

They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,

But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.

to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you. For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another. . . .

So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent. For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues. They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love. . . .

The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment. The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it. . . .

The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind. Again, I saw futility under the sun. There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task. Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. . . .

A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence. He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin. The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied. The righteous hate falsehood, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. . . .

Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil—in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty in the matter. If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed, and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin. If, however, he cannot afford a lamb, he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first present the one for the sin offering. He is to twist its head at the front of its neck without severing it; . . .

A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. He who speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit. Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but the counselors of peace have joy. . . .

What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” . . .

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. . . .

Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin. He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. He who winks the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will come to ruin. . . .

A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers. A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts. A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue. He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father. . . .

Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt. There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances— there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men. . . .

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test? And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not that we will appear to have stood the test, but that you will do what is right, even if we appear to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. In fact, we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong, and our prayer is for your perfection. . . .

Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool. If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest. There is an evil I have seen under the sun—an error that proceeds from the ruler: Folly is appointed to great heights, but the rich sit in lowly positions. I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. . . .

Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool. Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun. . . .

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself. So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. . . .

An evil man is caught by his own sin, but a righteous one sings and rejoices. The righteous consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked have no regard for such concerns. Mockers inflame a city, but the wise turn away anger. If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution. Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life. . . .

but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.