Psalms 39:1

²³Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

³Set a watch, LORD, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.

²⁶If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

²For we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn’t stumble in word is a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also. ³Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body. ⁴Behold,^[+] the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires. ⁵So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! ⁶And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.^7[+] For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and sea creature is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind; ⁸but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

¹³Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies.

⁵Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth! ⁶For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

¹Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. ²⁷Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.