A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. | A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. |
A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. | A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. |
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Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. | He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend. |
Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. | The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. |
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. | Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. |
With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. | The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. |
Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. | Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. |
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. | Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. |
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. | Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. |
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! | Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. |
Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. | A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. |