448 verses about Gossip

Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.

“Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.

because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.

May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts,

who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?”

He who doesn’t slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor casts slurs against his fellow man;

For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.

Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.

In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.

Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies.

But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.

For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”

Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”

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.