Sincerity and Self-control

^9-10 Be certain about what you believe and consistent in what you say. Don't try to please everyone or agree with everything people say.^{[a] 11} Always be ready to listen, but take your time in answering. ¹² Answer only if you know what to say, and if you don't know what to say, keep quiet. ¹³ Speaking can bring you either honor or disgrace; what you say can ruin you.

¹⁴ Don't get a reputation for being a gossip, and don't tell tales that will hurt people. Just as robbers will suffer disgrace, so liars will suffer severe condemnation. ¹⁵ Do nothing destructive,^[b] whether it seems insignificant or not,

The Division of the Territory West of the Jordan

14 What follows is an account of how the land of Canaan west of the Jordan was divided among the people of Israel. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the families of the Israelite tribes divided it among the population.