33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. 20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. 21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Mother Teresa
“Kind words also produce their image on men’s souls; and a beautiful image it is.” Blaise Pascal
“The character we find in the beatitudes is nothing less than our Lord’s own character put into words.” Billy Graham
“Our words have the power to speak life or death over someone. Watch the face of the hearer. Think before we speak. Store up in our hearts His truth before we spout out from our lips our opinions. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth will speak. Be the conduit that life flows freely through to others. We will then leave the aroma of Christ in our circumstances not the stench of death.” BHY
“One of the most powerful blessings you can bestow on another person is well-timed words. It is our job to declare God’s praises and pronounce God’s blessings. Life-giving words are pure oxygen. The right words at the right time can change everything. They can even change the direction of a life.” Mark Batterson
“Only speak words that make souls stronger.” Ann Voskamp
“It’s amazing what fresh insights come as we pour over the Bible for our own nourishment. Only then will our words be fresh and hot, made from scratch and straight from the oven, ready to feed hungry hearts.” Robert Morgan
“Before we speak we should put our words through the sieve of: Is it true? Is it noble? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it admirable? Is it excellent? Is it praiseworthy? Is it necessary????” BHY
“Words and ideology on a page are cheap. Grace and incarnating the love of Christ isn’t.” Ann Voskamp
“The most important thing in life isn’t what we think about ourselves or what others think about us, but what God thinks about us. He is the final Judge. When He examines and evaluates our motives, words, and actions, are we commended, as was Abel, or are we condemned, as was his brother Cain? ‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at,’ God told the prophet Samuel. ‘Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Sam. 16:7). Warren Wiersbe
“No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak in anger.” John Chrysostom
“Our words and works are always an overflow of what is in our hearts and thoughts. If you desire right speech and actions, work on your heart and mind.” BHY