He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.
- KJV Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
- ESV Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
- NKJV Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.
- NASB One who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.
- NLT Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Guarding the mouth and tongue keeps a person out of trouble. It matters because careful, controlled speech spares much grief.
Overview
Watching one's words protects the soul from the troubles that careless or harmful speech brings (Proverbs 13:3; James 3:2-8). The tongue holds great power for harm or good. Wisdom and self-control in speech are marks of a person who fears God and loves his neighbor.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Prov 13:3He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
- Prov 18:21Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Prov 17:27–28A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
- Jas 1:26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
- Prov 12:13An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble.
- Prov 10:19When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- Jas 3:2–13We 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.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 21:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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