A selection of verses showing what the Bible says about how we speak to others.
How we speak to others affects how they react to us:
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouth of fools gush out folly.
3 The LORD’s eyes are everywhere,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but deceit in it crushes the spirit.
How we talk may affect our lives:
12 Who is someone who desires life,
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Depart from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it.
25 Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbour. For we are members of one another.
How we speak to others can show we are deceiving ourselves:
26 If anyone amongst you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
What we say can have far reaching consequences:
5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity amongst 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; 8 but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God. 10 Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
These chapters have links to this theme:
Category