Ben Sira 28:10-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
10 The more the wood, the greater the fire,(A)
the more the cruelty, the fiercer the strife;
The greater the strength, the sterner the anger,
the greater the wealth, the greater the wrath.
11 Pitch and resin make fire flare up,
and a hasty quarrel provokes bloodshed.
The Evil Tongue[a]
12 If you blow on a spark, it turns into flame,
if you spit on it, it dies out;
yet both you do with your mouth!
Footnotes
- 28:12–26 Further treatment of sins of the tongue and the havoc that results; cf. 5:9–6:1; 19:5–17; 20:18–26; 23:7–15. Gossips and the double-tongued destroy domestic peace (vv. 12–16). The whip, the sword, chains, even Sheol, are not so cruel as the suffering inflicted by an evil tongue (vv. 17–21). Not the godly but those who forsake the Lord are victims of their evil tongues (vv. 22–23). Therefore, guard your mouth and tongue as you would guard treasure against an enemy (vv. 24–26).
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