Falar
A Bíblia tem muito a ensinar sobre a arte de falar. As palavras têm poder de vida e de morte — podem edificar ou destruir, curar ou ferir, aproximar ou afastar.
O poder das palavras
A morte e a vida estão no poder da língua. A palavra branda desvia a ira, mas a palavra dura suscita o furor.
ʻOku ʻi he ʻelelo ʻae pule ki he mate mo e moʻui:
pea ko kinautolu ʻoku ʻofa ki ai te nau kai ʻa hono fua.
ʻOku tekeʻi atu ʻae houhau ʻe he tali fakavaivai:
ka ʻoku fakatupu ʻae ʻita ʻi he lea fakamamahi.
Ko e ʻelelo fakamoʻui ko e ʻakau ia ʻoe moʻui:
pea ka talangataʻa ia ko e maumau ia ʻoe laumālie.
ʻOku maʻu ʻe he tangata ʻae fiefia ʻi he lea ʻa hono ngutu:
pea ko e lea ʻoku fai ʻi hono kuonga totonu, hono ʻikai lelei fau ia!
ʻOku ʻikai hoko ʻae ngaahi meʻa kuo tuʻutuʻuni, ko e meʻa ʻi he masiva fakakaukau:
ka ʻi he tokolahi hono kau fakakaukauʻi ʻoku toki maʻu ai ia.
Falar com sabedoria
No muito falar não falta transgressão. A boca do justo fala sabedoria, e quem guarda os lábios guarda a si mesmo.
ʻI he lahi ʻoe lea ʻoku ʻikai ke masiva ia ʻi he angahala:
ka ko e poto ia ʻaia ʻoku taʻofi ki hono loungutu.
Ko ia ʻoku vakai ki hono ngutu, ʻoku tauhi ʻe ia ʻene moʻui:
ka ʻe hoko ʻae fakaʻauha kiate ia ʻoku fakamanga lahi hono loungutu.
Naʻa mo e vale ʻoku lau ia ko e poto, ʻoka fakalongo pē ia:
pea ʻoku lau ko e tangata faʻa ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku mapuni hono loungutu.
ʻOku fakahā ʻae ngaahi tala fufū ʻe ia ʻoku fakalanga lau:
ka ko ia ʻoku loto totonu ʻoku ne ʻufiʻufi ʻae meʻa.
Ke matoʻo ho ngutu koeʻuhi ko e noa,
ʻi he meʻa ʻanautolu kotoa pē kuo fakamaau ki he mate.
ʻOku lelei ʻae lea mei he ngutu ʻoe tangata poto; ka ʻe fakaʻauha ʻae vale ʻe hono loungutu ʻoʻona.
Falar a verdade
Cada palavra ociosa será pesada no dia do juízo. Fale a verdade, edifique com a boca e confesse Cristo com os lábios.
"Ka ʻoku ou tala atu kiate kimoutolu, Ko e lea kovi kotoa pē ʻoku lea ʻaki ʻe he kakai, ʻe fakamaau ai ʻakinautolu ʻi he ʻaho fakamaau.
"Ko ia, kapau ʻe fai angahala kiate koe ʻe ho kāinga, ʻalu ʻo fakahā ʻene kovi kiate ia, ʻa koe pē mo ia: kapau ʻe tokanga ia kiate koe, kuo ke fakalelei mo ho kāinga.
Ka ʻoka mou ka lotu, ʻoua naʻa mou launoa, ʻo hangē ko e hiteni: he ʻoku nau mahalo ʻe fanongo kiate kinautolu ʻi heʻenau lea lahi.
Pea ko ia kotoa pē kuo mou lea ʻaki ʻi he poʻuli, ʻe fanongo ia ʻi he maama; pea ko ia kuo mou fanafana ʻaki ʻi he ngaahi loki, ʻe kalangaekina ia mei he tuʻa fale."
ʻOku ʻomi ʻe he tangata angalelei ʻaia ʻoku lelei mei he koloa lelei ʻi hono loto; pea ʻoku ʻomi ʻe he tangata angakovi ʻaia ʻoku kovi mei he koloa kovi ʻi hono loto: he ʻoku lea ʻa hono ngutu mei he meʻa lahi ʻoe loto.
Koeʻuhi kapau te ke fakahā ʻaki ho ngutu ʻae ʻEiki ko Sisu, pea ke tui ʻi ho loto kuo fokotuʻu ia ʻe he ʻOtua mei he mate, ʻe fakamoʻui koe.
Pea ko e Laumālie foki, ʻoku ne tokoniʻi ʻetau ngaahi vaivai: he ʻoku ʻikai te tau ʻilo ʻaia ʻoku totonu ke tau lotua; ka ʻoku hūfekina ʻakitautolu ʻe he Laumālie pe ko ia ʻi he ngaahi toʻe ʻoku taʻefaʻaleaʻaki.
Edificar com palavras
Não saia da boca nenhuma palavra torpe. Sejam prontos para ouvir, tardios para falar, e tardios para a ira.
Ke ʻoua naʻa haʻu ha talanoa ʻuli mei homou ngutu, ka ko ia ʻoku lelei ʻo ʻaonga ke langaʻaki hake, koeʻuhi ke tupu ai ʻae tokoni ki he kau fanongo.
Ko ia, ko hoku kāinga ʻofeina, ke fakavave ʻae tangata kotoa pē ki he fanongo, pea fakatuotuai ki he lea, ʻo fakatotoka ki he ʻita:
He ʻoku tau tūkia kotoa pē ʻi he ngaahi meʻa kehekehe. Kapau ʻe ʻikai tūkia ha taha ʻi he lea, ko e tangata haohaoa ia, pea ʻoku faʻa fai ʻe ia ke taʻofi ki he sino kotoa.
ʻO ʻikai totongi ʻae kovi ʻaki ʻae kovi, pe ko e lea kovi ʻaki ʻae lea kovi: kae kehe ke tāpuaki; he ʻoku mou ʻilo kuo ui ʻakimoutolu ki ai, koeʻuhi ke mou maʻu ʻae tāpuaki.
ʻA ʻeku fānau ʻofeina, ke ʻoua naʻa tau ʻofa ʻi he lea, pe ʻi he ʻelelo; ka ʻi he ngāue mo e moʻoni.
Mou ʻatu ʻae fakafetaʻi kia Sihova; ui ki hono huafa:
fakahā ʻene ngaahi ngāue ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kakai.
Tuku ke pito hoku ngutu ʻaki hoʻo fakamālō mo hoʻo fakaʻapaʻapa ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē.