Hold your tongue back
I told myself, “I’ll be careful
not to sin by what I say,
and I’ll muzzle my mouth
when evil people are near.” ~ Psalm 39:1 (CEV)
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. ~ James 1:19 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Filter what comes from your mouth or you'll get sucked into a trap.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for giving me a good mind which I use to formulate opinions. But I need some wisdom from you because I too frequently get sucked into sharing my opinion when it would be better to stay quiet. I'm going to keep my mouth shut and let the fools trip over their words. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
