Verses about the tongue

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

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is healing.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a greater judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body. And if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we steer also their whole body. Look also at the ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the pilot wants. So also the tongue is a small member and boasts of great things. See how great a forest so small a fire sets ablaze. And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of existence, and is itself set on fire by Gehenna. For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, But no human being can tame the tongue: it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who have been made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. A spring does not pour forth from the same opening the sweet and the bitter, does it? My brothers, a fig tree cannot produce olives, or a vine figs, can it? Neither can salt water produce sweet water.

Hide me from the intimate counsel of evildoers, from the tumult of those who work wickedness, who have sharpened like a sword their tongue; they have drawn their arrow, a bitter word, to shoot from hiding places at the blameless; suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

And I said, “Woe to me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and in the midst of a people of unclean lips I dwell; for the King, YHWH Tsevaot, my eyes have seen.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from on the altar. And he touched my mouth and said, “Look, this has touched your lips, and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is expiated.”

Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings out good things from his good treasure, and the evil person brings out evil things from his evil treasure. And I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment; for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”

And summoning the crowd, he said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

You shall not testify against your neighbor as a false witness.

An abomination to YHWH are lips of falsehood, but those who practice faithfulness are his pleasure.

A witness of lies will not go unpunished, and whoever utters lies will not escape.

A psalm of David. YHWH, who will reside in your tent? Who will dwell on your holy mountain? He who walks blameless and does righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue, does not do evil to his neighbor, nor lift up reproach against the one near him; in whose eyes the rejected one is despised, but those who fear YHWH he honors; he swears to his own hurt and does not change;

Who is the man who desires life, who loves days to see good? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

These are the things that you shall do: Speak truth each with his neighbor; judge with truth and judgment of peace in your gates.

But let your word be ‘Yes, yes,’ ‘No, no’; and what is more than these is from the evil one.

Therefore, having put off falsehood, speak truth, each one with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

Do not lie to one another, since you have stripped off the old man with its practices,

A soft answer turns back wrath, but a hurtful word stirs up anger.

A calm tongue is a tree of life, but crookedness in it is a breaking of the spirit.

A honeycomb are pleasant sayings, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken at its right time.

Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.

Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but only whatever is good for building up according to the need, so that it may give grace to those who hear.

Let your word be always with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you ought to answer each one.

Therefore comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing.

In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.

Whoever watches his mouth guards his soul; whoever opens wide his lips, ruin is his.

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Whoever holds back his sayings knows knowledge, and one cool of spirit is a man of insight. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; whoever shuts his lips, discerning.

Whoever answers a word before he hears, it is folly to him and humiliation.

Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a senseless man than for him.

a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to keep silent and a time to speak;

Do not be hasty with your mouth, and let your heart not hurry to bring out a word before Elohim; for Elohim is in the heavens and you on the earth; therefore let your words be few.

For the director. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I said, “I will keep my ways from sinning with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked is before me.”

Set, YHWH, a guard over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to an evil thing, to practice deeds in wickedness with men who work wickedness; and let me not eat of their delicacies.

May the sayings of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before you, YHWH, my Rock and my redeemer.

Know this, my beloved brothers. And let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for a man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God.