| Excellent speech isn’t fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince. | Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler! |
| My doctrine will drop as the rain. My speech will condense as the dew, as the misty rain on the tender grass, as the showers on the herb. | Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. |
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| The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge. | The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. |
| Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. | Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. |
| The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth. | To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. |
| Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you. | Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. |
| My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. | Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. |
| Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. | Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. |
| Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. | 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. |
| In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely. | Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. |
| For, “He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.” | For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” |
| For we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn’t stumble in word is a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also. | We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. |
| Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate. | Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. |
