^29 (A)Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give ^(B)grace to those who hear.

⁶ Let your speech always ^(A)be gracious, ^(B)seasoned with salt, ^(C)so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

⁸ But now ^(A)you must put them all away: ^(B)anger, wrath, malice, ^(C)slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ^9 (D)Do not lie to one another, seeing that ^(E)you have put off ^(F)the old self^[a] with its practices

^34 (A)You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, ^(B)when you are evil? ^(C)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ^35 (D)The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶ I tell you, ^(E)on the day of judgment ^(F)people will give account for ^(G)every careless word they speak, ³⁷ for ^(H)by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

² For ^(A)we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, ^(B)he is a perfect man, ^(C)able also to bridle his whole body. ³ If we put ^(D)bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^(E)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(F)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(G)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,^[a] and set on fire by hell.^{[b] 7} For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^(H)full of deadly poison.