Proverbs 21:23
New Living Translation
23 Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut,
and you will stay out of trouble.
Proverbs 13:3
New Living Translation
3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life;
opening your mouth can ruin everything.
James 1:26
New Living Translation
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
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Proverbs 17:27-28
New Living Translation
27 A truly wise person uses few words;
a person with understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
Proverbs 12:13
New Living Translation
13 The wicked are trapped by their own words,
but the godly escape such trouble.
Proverbs 18:21
New Living Translation
21 The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Proverbs 10:19
New Living Translation
19 Too much talk leads to sin.
Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
James 3:2-13
New Living Translation
2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.[a]
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.[b]
True Wisdom Comes from God
13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
Read full chapterHoly Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.