¹⁵ but ^(A)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^(B)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(C)respect,

¹⁸ For, ^(A)speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely ^(B)escaping from those who live in error.

⁶ And ^(A)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(B)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, ^(C)full of deadly poison.

¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, ^(A)empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of ^(B)the circumcision party.^{[a] 11} They must be silenced, since ^(C)they are upsetting whole families by teaching ^(D)for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

^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.

⁶ Let not your mouth lead you^[a] into sin, and do not say before ^(A)the messenger^[b] that it was ^(B)a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?