448 verses about Gossip

My enemies speak evil against me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”

If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it.

All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me.

“An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.”

“You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit.

You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son.

Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue.

Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”

For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter.

who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words,

They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, “Who will see them?”

Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.

Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.

For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,

They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.

They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.

I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won’t tolerate one who is haughty and conceited.

for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, of those who speak evil against my soul.

Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.

What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper’s poison is under their lips. Selah.

As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

An evil speaker won’t be established in the earth. Evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.

to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

The foolish woman is loud, undisciplined, and knows nothing.

The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall.

One winking with the eye causes sorrow, but a chattering fool will fall.

The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

He who hides hatred has lying lips. He who utters a slander is a fool.

In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely.

The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.

The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.

One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

One who brings gossip betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret.

An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.

There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.

A prudent man keeps his knowledge, but the hearts of fools proclaim foolishness.

By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.

He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of fools gush out folly.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit.

A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.

A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.

An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

One who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.

A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.

A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.

A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.

Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?

Debate your case with your neighbor, and don’t betray the confidence of another;

lest one who hears it put you to shame, and your bad reputation never depart.

A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

The north wind produces rain; so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.

Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

Like one who grabs a dog’s ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.

The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.

A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.

A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?

Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom: for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.

We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; even of his arrogance, his pride, and his wrath. His boastings are nothing.

who cause a person to be indicted by a word, and lay a snare for the arbiter in the gate, and who deprive the innocent of justice with false testimony.

Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and don’t speak to us in the Jews’ language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

Then you will call, and Yahweh will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away from among you the yoke, finger pointing, and speaking wickedly;

They are all grievous rebels, going around to slander. They are brass and iron. All of them deal corruptly.

“Everyone beware of his neighbor, and don’t trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go around with slanders.

Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart, he waits to ambush him.

Then they said, “Come, and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law won’t perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”