| A perverse man sows strife, and a tale-bearer destroys close friendships. | A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. |
| The one who leads a blameless life and does what is right, who speaks the truth from the heart and does not slander anyone, who does not harm a friend and does not scorn a neighbor. | The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others. |
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| One who gossips reveals secrets, but a trustworthy man keeps things hidden. | A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. |
| Let no foul word ever pass your lips. Say only what is useful for edification, so that your words may benefit your listeners. | Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. |
| With his mouth the godless man seeks to ruin his neighbor, but knowledge enables the righteous to be delivered. | With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. |
| Lying lips conceal hatred, and anyone who slanders another is a fool. | Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. |
| Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and utter all kinds of calumnies against you for my sake. | Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. |
| Are you not aware that wrongdoers will never inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, extortioners, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. | Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. |
| Then keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. | Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. |
| A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but an undisciplined tongue crushes the spirit. | The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. |
| The whispers of a gossiper are tasty morsels that corrode one’s inner being. | The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. |
