Ephesians 4:29

Speech should never be corrupting but should build others up and give grace to hearers. Christians are to use words to benefit, not harm.

Cross-references · 38

• Col 4:6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
• 1 Th 5:11Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
• Eccl 10:12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
• Prov 15:7The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the hearts of fools.
• Col 3:8–9But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
• Matt 12:34–37You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
• Prov 25:11–12A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
• Ps 37:30–31The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
• Jas 3:2–8We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.
• Prov 15:2–4The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.
• Col 3:16–17Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
• Eph 5:3–4But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
• Matt 5:16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
• Prov 12:13An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble.
• Isa 50:4The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
• Prov 16:21The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant speech promotes instruction.
• Prov 10:31–32The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
• Luke 4:22All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked.
• 1 Pet 2:12Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
• Prov 15:23A man takes joy in a fitting reply—and how good is a timely word!
• Ps 52:2Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.
• Deut 6:6–9These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.
• Ps 5:9For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.
• Rom 3:13–14“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”
• 1 Pet 3:1Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives
• 1 Cor 15:32–33If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
• Ps 71:17–18O God, You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I proclaim Your marvelous deeds.
• Eph 4:12to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
• Mal 3:16–18At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.
• Eph 4:16From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
• Ps 73:7–9From their prosperity proceeds iniquity; the imaginations of their hearts run wild.
• Jude 1:13–16They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
• Ps 71:24My tongue will indeed proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm are disgraced and confounded.
• Ps 45:2You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed your lips, since God has blessed you forever.
• Rev 13:5–6The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.
• 1 Cor 14:19But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
• Ps 78:4–5We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might, and the wonders He has performed.
• 2 Pet 2:18With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.