he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven men who answer discreetly.
17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears
is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.
18 Like a madman shooting
firebrands or deadly arrows
19 is a man who deceives his neighbor
and says, "I was only joking!"
20 Without wood a fire goes out;
without gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to a man's inmost parts.
23 Like a coating of glaze over earthenware
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,
but in his heart he harbors deceit.
25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him,
for seven abominations fill his heart.
26 His malice may be concealed by deception,
but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it;
if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Questions to consider:
- Contrast the sluggard with:
(b) the practical joker
(c) the gossip
(d) the hypocrite
- In what ways are the metaphors apt?
- Which traits do you need to remove from your life?
Possibilities for prayer:
“A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.”
I think we are sometimes oblivious to the power of our words. Little kids have that saying-- “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”--but it’s only when we get older that we are able to realize how untrue that chant can be! It seems that we’ve all been hurt (probably more than once) by words that were carelessly (or even carefully) used. Let’s give God control over our tongues and our mouths today. Let’s ask God to help us control the words that we choose to use and speak in love and truth instead of hatred and lies.
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