Língua

21 Death and life are in the *power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in *what he says, he is a perfect man, able to *rein in the whole body as well.

3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. 4 Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among *our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our*life, and is set on fire by *hell.

7 For every *species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human *race. 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening both*fresh and bitter water?12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce *fresh.

15 Through *patience a ruler may be persuaded,

And a gentle tongue breaks bone.

18 There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,

But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

19 Truthful lips will endure forever,

But a lying tongue is only for a moment.

19 When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,

But one who restrains his lips is wise.

28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;

When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not *bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

The Futility of Life.

1 I said, "I will keep watch over my ways

So that I do not sin with my tongue;

I will keep watch over my mouth as with a muzzle

While the wicked are in my presence."

12 Who is the person who desires life

And loves length of days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil

And your lips from speaking deceit.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

And his tongue speaks justice.

31 The Law of his God is in his heart;

His steps do not slip.

28 And my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness

And Your praise all day long.

4 *Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, Lord, You know it all.

2 Rescue my soul, Lord, from lying lips,

From a deceitful tongue.

3 May the Lord cut off all *flattering lips,

The tongue that speaks great things;

4 Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail;

Our lips are *our own; who is lord over us?"

9 Confuse them, Lord, divide their tongues,

For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Excellence of Love

1 If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

36 But I tell you that for every *careless word that people *speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment.37 For *by your words you will be justified, and *by your words you will be condemned."

5 Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the *men had built. 6 And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have *the same language. And this is what they have started to do, and now nothing which they plan to do will be *impossible for them. 7 Come, *let Us go down and there confuse their *language, so that they will not understand one another’s *speech." 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore it was named *Babel, because there the Lord confused the *language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.