… and those who love it will eat its fruit.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.

With his mouth, the godless destroys his neighbor but through knowledge the righteous escape. // The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts. // Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords // a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit // a perverse tongue will be silenced.

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. // You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!

Pr 18:21a; Pr 18:21b; Ja 3:7-8; Pr 11:9, Pr 18:8, Je 9:8; Pr 12:18, Pr 15:4, Pr 10:31; Ec 7:21-22, Ps 52:3-4

Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.