Words

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,

And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:

Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:

And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;

And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.

And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;

And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?

And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.

Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

And not rather,(as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.