¹³ Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips:

⁹ For no faith may be put in their words; their inner part is nothing but evil; their throat is like an open place for the dead; smooth are the words of their tongues.

³ Their tongues are sharp like the tongue of a snake; the poison of snakes is under their lips. (Selah.)

³³ Their wine is the poison of dragons, the cruel poison of snakes.

⁵ Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire!

⁶ And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell.

⁷ For every sort of beast and bird and every living thing on earth and in the sea has been controlled by man and is under his authority;

⁸ But the tongue may not be controlled by man; it is an unresting evil, it is full of the poison of death.

⁴ In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged.

²⁷ A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things.

²⁸ Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing.

³⁴ You offspring of snakes, how are you, being evil, able to say good things? because out of the heart's store come the words of the mouth.

³⁵ The good man out of his good store gives good things; and the evil man out of his evil store gives evil things.

⁷ Have you not seen a vision without substance and have you not falsely made use of secret arts, when you say, The Lord has said; though I have said nothing?

³ Their tongues are bent like a bow to send out false words: they have become strong in the land, but not for good faith: they go on from evil to evil, and they have no knowledge of me, says the Lord.

⁴ Let everyone keep watch on his neighbour, and put no faith in any brother: for every brother will certainly be tricking his brother, and every neighbour will go about saying evil.

⁵ Everyone will make sport of his neighbour with deceit, not saying what is true: their tongues have been trained to say false words; they are twisted, hating to come back.

³ For your hands are unclean with blood, and your fingers with sin; your lips have said false things, and your tongue gives out deceit.

⁴ My soul is among lions; I am stretched out among those who are on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword.

² Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade.

³ In the words of his mouth are evil and deceit; he has given up being wise and doing good.

³ The smooth lips and the tongue of pride will be cut off by the Lord.

⁴ They have said, With our tongues will we overcome; our lips are ours: who is lord over us?

¹⁶ Their arrows give certain death, they are all men of war.

¹⁴ His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.

¹⁵ He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.

¹⁶ He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.