880 verses about Speaking

Haven’t you seen a false vision, and haven’t you spoken a lying divination, in that you say, ‘Yahweh says;’ but I have not spoken?”

Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’”

Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you shall speak, and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying,

“Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, ‘When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

When I tell the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand.

Now Yahweh’s hand had been on me in the evening, before he who had escaped came; and he had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

“As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk about you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak to one another, everyone to his brother, saying, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes out from Yahweh.’

Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

You have magnified yourselves against me with your mouth, and have multiplied your words against me. I have heard it.”

“When the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’

I heard one speaking to me out of the house; and a man stood by me.

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God;

When he had spoken these words to me, I set my face toward the ground, and was mute.

Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, “My lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows have overtaken me, and I retain no strength.

I have also spoken to the prophets, and I have multiplied visions; and by the ministry of the prophets I have used parables.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on Yahweh’s name, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.

Then Haggai, Yahweh’s messenger, spoke Yahweh’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you,” says Yahweh.

“Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

“Your words have been stout against me,” says Yahweh. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’

Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name.

And they sent to him messengers with words of peace, saying,

So the men came to Holofernes, and declared to him according to these words.

It came to pass, when Achior had finished speaking these words, all the people standing around the tent murmured. The great men of Holofernes, and all that lived by the sea side and in Moab, said that he should kill him.

He answered and declared to them the words of the council of Holofernes, and all the words that he had spoken in the midst of the princes of the children of Asshur, and all the great words that Holofernes had spoken against the house of Israel.

“God be judge between all of you and us, because you have done us great wrong, in that you have not spoken words of peace with the children of Asshur.

And Ozias said to her, “All that you have spoken, you have spoken with a good heart. There is no one who will deny your words.

I am coming into the presence of Holofernes the chief captain of your army, to declare words of truth. I will show him a way that he can go and win all the hill country, and there will not be lacking of his men one person, nor one life.”

But when you stand before him, don’t be afraid in your heart, but declare to him according to your words; and he will treat you well.”

And Judith said to him, “Receive the words of your servant, and let your handmaid speak in your presence, and I will declare no lie to my lord this night.

And now as concerning the matter which Achior spoke in your council, we have heard his words; for the men of Bethulia saved him, and he declared to them all that he had spoken before you.

And Hathach reported to Mordecai all the words of Esther.

And having raised the golden sceptre he laid it upon her neck, and embraced her, and said, Speak to me. And she said to him, I saw you, my lord, as an angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of your glory; for you, my lord, are to be wondered at, and your face is full of grace. And while she was speaking, she fainted and fell. Then the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her.

Beware then of unprofitable murmuring, And refrain your tongue from backbiting; Because no secret utterance will go on its way void, And a mouth that belies destroys a soul.

But to me may God give to speak with judgement, And to conceive thoughts worthy of what has been given me; Because himself is one that guideth even wisdom and that correcteth the wise.

When I am silent, they will wait for me; And when I open my lips, they will give heed to me; And if I continue speaking, they will lay their hand upon their mouth.

Because wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, And made the tongues of babes to speak clearly.

He will hide his words for a season, And the lips of many will tell forth his understanding.

Be not a hypocrite in the mouths of men; And take good heed to your lips.

Incline your ear to a poor man, And answer him with peaceful words in meekness.

Refrain not speech, when it tendeth to safety; And hide not your wisdom for the sake of fair-seeming.

For by speech wisdom will be known; And instruction by the word of the tongue.

Speak not against the truth; And be abashed for your ignorance.

Be not hasty in your tongue, And in your deeds slack and remiss.

Be stedfast in your understanding; And let your word be one.

Be swift to hear; And with patience make your answer.

If you have understanding, answer your neighbor; And if not, let your hand be upon your mouth.

Glory and dishonor is in talk: And the tongue of a man is his fall.

Be not called a whisperer; And lie not in wait with your tongue: For upon the thief there is shame, And an evil condemnation upon him that has a double tongue.

Sweet words will multiply a man’s friends; And a fair-speaking tongue will multiply courtesies.

Prate not in the multitude of elders; And repeat not your words in your prayer.

Contend not with a man that is full of tongue, And heap not wood upon his fire.

Rise not up from the presence of an insolent man, Lest he lie in wait as an ambush for your mouth.

For the hand of the artificers a work will be commended: And he that rules the people will be counted wise for his speech.

A man full of tongue is dangerous in his city; And he that is headlong in his speech will be hated.

Answer not before you have heard; And interrupt not in the midst of speech.

He that keeps not to himself words spoken is unmerciful; And he will not spare to hurt and to bind.

A rich man speaks, and all keep silence; And what he says they extol to the clouds: A poor man speaks, and they say, Who is this? And if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.

Blessed is the man that has not slipped with his mouth, And is not pricked with sorrow for sins.

And she will exalt him above his neighbors; And in the midst of the congregation will she open his mouth.

Shall not the dew assuage the scorching heat? So is a word better than a gift.

Behold, is not a word better than a gift? And both are with a gracious man.

Learn before you speak; And have a care of your health or ever you be sick.

They that were of understanding in sayings became also wise themselves, And poured forth apt proverbs.

And he that hates talk has the less wickedness.

Never repeat what is told you, And you will fare never the worse.

Whether it be of friend or foe, tell it not; And unless it is a sin to you, reveal it not.

Hast you heard a word? let it die with you: Be of good courage, it will not burst you.

A fool will travail in pain with a word, As a woman in labor with a child.

As an arrow that sticks in the flesh of the thigh, So is a word in a fool’s belly.

Reprove your neighbor; it may be he said it not: And if he has said it, that he may not say it again.

There is one that slips, and not from the heart: And who is he that has not sinned with his tongue?

There is a reproof that is not comely; And there is a man that keeps silence, and he is wise.

There is one that keeps silence, and is found wise; And there is one that is hated for his much talk.

There is one that keeps silence, for he has no answer to make; And there is that keeps silence, as knowing his time.

A wise man will be silent till his time come; But the braggart and fool will overpass his time.

He that uses many words will be abhorred; And he that takes to himself authority therein will be hated.

He that is wise in words will make himself beloved; But the pleasantries of fools will be wasted.

A slip on a pavement is better than a slip with the tongue; So the fall of the wicked will come speedily.

A man without grace is as a tale out of season: It will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant.

A wise sentence from a fool’s mouth will be rejected; For he will not speak it in its season.

A lie is a foul blot in a man: It will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant.

The disposition of a liar is dishonor; And his shame is with him continually.

He that is wise in words will advance himself; And one that is prudent will please great men.

Better is a man that hides his folly Than a man that hides his wisdom.

He that is mighty in tongue is known afar off: But the man of understanding knows when he slips.

The discourse of a fool is like a burden in the way; But grace will be found on the lips of the wise.

The mouth of the prudent man will be sought for in the congregation; And they will ponder his words in their heart.

The lips of strangers will be grieved at these things; But the words of prudent men will be weighed in the balance.

The heart of fools is in their mouth; But the mouth of wise men is their heart.

Unseasonable discourse is as music in mourning; But stripes and correction are wisdom at every season.

If you have opened your mouth against a friend, fear not; For there may be a reconciling; Except it be for upbraiding, and arrogance, and disclosing of a secret, and a treacherous blow: For these things every friend will flee.

Before fire is the vapor and smoke of a furnace; So revilings before bloodshed.

Who shall set a watch over my mouth, And a seal of shrewdness upon my lips, That I fall not from it, and that my tongue destroy me not?

Hear you⌃, my children, the discipline of the mouth; And he that keeps it will not be taken.

The sinner will be overtaken in his lips; And the reviler and the proud man will stumble therein.