taming your tongue

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.

¹A mild response shatters anger. But a harsh word stirs up fury.

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.

³O Lord, station a guard over my mouth and a door enclosing my lips.

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. ⁷For the nature of all beasts and birds and serpents and others is ruled over, and has been ruled over, by human nature.

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

¹⁴Prohibit your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

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

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.

²⁸If he would remain silent, even the foolish would be considered wise, and if he closes his lips, intelligent.

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

¹¹A man is not defiled by what enters into the mouth, but by what proceeds from the mouth. This is what defiles a man.”

¹⁰From the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so!

³³Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree evil and its fruit evil. For certainly a tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴Progeny of vipers, how are you able to speak good things while you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. ³⁵A good man offers good things from a good storehouse. And an evil man offers evil things from an evil storehouse. 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.”

¹⁹In a multitude of speaking, sin will not be lacking. But whoever tempers his lips is most prudent.

²to speak evil of no one, not to be litigious, but to be reserved, displaying all meekness toward all men.

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.