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, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. |
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. | Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for 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 and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. |
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. | It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. |
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. | Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. |
Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. | Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people. |
With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. | May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. |
The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. | Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. |
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. | Work brings profit, but mere talk 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 I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. |
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. | Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. |
The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse. | The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words. |
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. | Then keep your tongue from speaking 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 or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. |
Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. | Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. |
It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. | Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. |
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 worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. |
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. | You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. |
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. | The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. |
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. | When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. |
Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. | Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you 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 you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. |
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. | Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. |
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 it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. |