I
tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless
word they speak,
The
one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.
Having
a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good
behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Whoever
slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and
an arrogant heart I will not endure.
Do
not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a
brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.
But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
A
dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
To
speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect
courtesy toward all people.
So
put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
The
good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil
person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the
heart his mouth speaks.
“You
shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
When
slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the
world, the refuse of all things.
“So
whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the
Law and the Prophets.
For
“Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from
evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
“Blessed
are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account.
With
his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the
righteous are delivered.
“You
shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to
be a malicious witness.
And
he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out
of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,
adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride,
foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Whoever
goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple
babbler.
They
encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.
Be
kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ
forgave you.
Know
this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak,
slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
You
sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son.
Nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God.
They
make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of
asps. Selah
A
lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Whoever
covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close
friends.
A
soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The
north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
But
understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For
people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous,
reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Now
the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries,
dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I
warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God.
You
shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction
when it comes.
Let
all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ forgave you.
A
false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
For
I hear the whispering of many— terror on every side!— as they scheme together
against me, as they plot to take my life.
And
especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise
authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious
ones,
Blessed
is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he
will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Slanderers,
haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to
parents,
And
whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so
that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
But
now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk
from your mouth.
With
respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood
of debauchery, and they malign you;
And
they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.
The
beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is
evil madness.
He
who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the
Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in
whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from
the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings
you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not
fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
Their
wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in
all things.
They
were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.
They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
Older
women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much
wine. They are to teach what is good,
Let
all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice.
Rather,
speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the
head, into Christ,
For
I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may
find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger,
hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
And
why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with
saying. Their condemnation is just.
There
are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the
mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst.
And
when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers
iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. All who hate me whisper
together about me; they imagine the worst for me. They say, “A deadly thing is
poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” Even my close
friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
My
enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”
You
shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand
up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
And
I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and
the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the
accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night
before our God.
Yet
in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh,
reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.
Keep
your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you
as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of
visitation.
Keep
your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he
has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
For
we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various
passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others
and hating one another.
So
flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along
with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Besides
that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only
idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
Put
to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these
the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living
in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
obscene talk from your mouth.
Put
to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Therefore,
having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not
let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
There
is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law
of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and
death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned
sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things
of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the
things of the Spirit.
You
know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do
not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”
But
they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came
forward
And
again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be
compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants
to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have
prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and
everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and
went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
“Beware
of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are
ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered
from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good
fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad
fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
For
if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.
Let
everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every
brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.
They
are all stubbornly rebellious, going about with slanders; they are bronze and
iron; all of them act corruptly.
The
words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner
parts of the body.
For
lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling
ceases.
Do
not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
The
words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner
parts of the body.
The
vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
A
false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his
delight.
Hatred
stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
The
proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a
sorrow to his mother. Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but
righteousness delivers from death. The Lord does not let the
righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. A slack hand
causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in
summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings
shame.
For
wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with
lying tongues.
Who
whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
You
love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
Those
who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and
meditate treachery all day long.
They
open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!”
Who
does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up
a reproach against his friend;
But
God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of
the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to
the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your
eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Put
to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these
the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living
in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have
put off the old self with its practices
Through
honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors,
and yet are true;
Or
do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some
of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
As
for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over
opinions.
He
also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple
to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing
by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice
a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far
off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,
‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
For
what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or
what shall a man give in return for his soul?
“Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
“Judge
not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be
judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
The
vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem
in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O
heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children
have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows
its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my
people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will
you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is
sick, and the whole heart faint.
If
the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer.
Give
strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;
let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.
Keep
your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
A
Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the
world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and
established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And
who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who
does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He
will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of
his salvation.
