our tongue

⁸But no man is able to rule over the tongue, a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Whoever values it shall eat from its fruits.

³⁶But I say to you, that for every idle word which men will have spoken, they shall render an account in the day of judgment. ³⁷For by your words shall you be justified, and by your words shall you be condemned.”

²³Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue guards his soul from anguish.

²⁹Let no evil words proceed from your mouth, but only what is good, toward the edification of faith, so as to bestow grace upon those who listen.

¹⁸He who makes promises is also jabbed, as if with a sword, in conscience. But the tongue of the wise is reasonable.

²⁶But if anyone considers himself to be religious, but he does not restrain his tongue, but instead seduces his own heart: such a one’s religion is vanity.

⁴A peaceful tongue is a tree of life. But that which is immoderate will crush the spirit.

¹⁶Six things there are that the Lord hates, and the seventh, his soul detests: ¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸a heart that devises the most wicked thoughts, feet running swiftly unto evil, ¹⁹a deceitful witness bringing forth lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

¹⁰For whoever wants to love life and to see good days should restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, so that they utter no deceit.

²I said, “I will keep to my ways, so that I will not offend with my tongue.” I posted a guard at my mouth, when a sinner took up a position against me.

¹My brothers, not many of you should choose to become teachers, knowing that you shall receive a stricter judgment. ²For we all offend in many ways. If anyone does not offend in word, he is a perfect man. And he is then able, as if with a bridle, to lead the whole body around. ³For so we put bridles into the mouths of horses, in order to submit them to our will, and so we turn their whole body around. ⁴Consider also the ships, which, though they are great and may be driven by strong winds, yet they are turned around with a small rudder, to be directed to wherever the strength of the pilot might will. ⁵So also the tongue certainly is a small part, but it moves great things. Consider that a small fire can set ablaze a great forest. ⁶And so the tongue is like a fire, comprising all iniquity. The tongue, stationed in the midst of our body, can defile the entire body and inflame the wheel of our nativity, setting a fire from Hell.

²²But I say to you, that anyone who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. But whoever will have called his brother, ‘Idiot,’ shall be liable to the council. Then, whoever will have called him, ‘Worthless,’ shall be liable to the fires of Hell.

⁵A false witness shall not go unpunished. And whoever speaks lies will not escape.

¹²For the Word of God is living and effective: more piercing than any two-edged sword, reaching to the division even between the soul and the spirit, even between the joints and the marrow, and so it discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

⁴⁵A good man, from the good storehouse of his heart, offers what is good. And an evil man, from the evil storehouse, offers what is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

¹Therefore, set aside all malice and all deceitfulness, as well as falseness and envy and every detraction.