And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. | When you pray do not go on babbling endlessly as the pagans do, for they believe that they are more likely to be heard because of their many words. |
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. | Pleasing words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and affording health to the body. |
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Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. | Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. |
So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. | So shall my word be that issues forth from my mouth. It will not return to me unfulfilled, but it will accomplish my purpose and achieve what I sent it forth to do. |
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. | A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only delights in expressing his own opinions. |
Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. | Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. |
With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. | With his mouth the godless man seeks to ruin his neighbor, but knowledge enables the righteous to be delivered. |
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. | Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. |
The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. | The lips of a fool cause strife, and his mouth provokes a flogging. |
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. | Diligent labor always yields profit, but idle conversation only leads to poverty. |
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. | If in speaking I use human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. |
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. | Anxiety in the human heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad. |
The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse. | The lips of the righteous utter words of kindness, but the mouth of the wicked knows only how to pervert. |
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. | Then keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. |
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. | And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. |
Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. | Turn away from the mouth that deceives and keep your distance from lips that mislead. |
It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. | It is honorable to avoid strife, but every fool is quarrelsome. |
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. | Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather seek to expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of what deeds people do in secret. |
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. | A word is not even on my tongue and you, O Lord, are completely aware of it. |
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. | The tongue of the just man is like pure silver; the heart of the wicked is without worth. |
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. | As long as I remained silent, my body wasted away as the result of my groaning throughout the day. |
Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. | Lying lips conceal hatred, and anyone who slanders another is a fool. |
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. | If anyone thinks that he is religious but does not restrain his tongue, he is deceiving himself, and his religion is worthless. |
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. | Speak out and pronounce righteous judgments; defend the rights of the wretched and the poor. |
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. | For one believes in the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. |