1 He who seeks revenge will find it from the Lord, And He will surely punish his sins.
2 Forgive a wrong done you by your neighbor; Then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
3 Can a man preserve wrath against his neighbor And still seek healing from the Lord?
4 Can he show no mercy toward a man like himself And still beg God for mercy for himself?
5 If he being flesh keeps his anger continually, Who will atone for his sins?
6 Remember the end of your life And cease from enmity; Remember destruction and death And stand fast in the commandments.
7 Remember the commandments And do not vent your wrath against your neighbor; Remember the covenant of the Most High And overlook faults.
8 Refrain from quarreling and you will decrease your sins, For a man who is hot-tempered will kindle quarreling.
9 A sinful man will trouble his friends, And among those who live in peace he will inject unfriendliness.
10 The heat of a fire will be kindled according to the amount of wood; So also the heat of a fire will be kindled according to the obstinacy of quarreling. According to the strength of a man, so his anger shall be; And according to his wealth, he will increase his wrath.
11 A hasty quarrel kindles a fire, And a vigorous quarrel sheds blood.
12 If you blow on a spark, it will kindle a fire, But if you spit on it, it will be quenched; Yet both come out of your mouth.
13 Curse a slanderous and deceitful man, For he has destroyed many who were at peace.
14 Slander has unsettled many And scattered them from nation to nation; And it has destroyed strong cities And overturned the houses of great men.
15 Slander has driven away courageous women And robbed them of their labors.
16 He who devotes himself to slander will not find rest, Nor shall he dwell in quietness.
17 The blow from a whip causes a wound, But a blow from the tongue breaks bones.
18 Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, But not so many as those who have fallen because of the tongue.
19 Blessed is the man who is sheltered from it, Who has not passed through the anger of the tongue; Who does not drag its yoke And is not bound by its chains.
20 For its yoke is a yoke of iron, And its chains are chains of bronze.
21 Its death is an evil death, And Hades is preferable to it.
22 An evil tongue will not prevail over the godly, And they will not be burned in its flame.
23 Those who forsake the Lord will fall into it, And among them it will be kindled; And it will not be quenched. It will set upon them like a lion, And like a leopard it will mangle them.
24 See that you fence in your possessions with thorns; Lock up your silver and gold.
25 Make balances and scales for your words And bar and bolt the door of your mouth.
26 Beware lest you make a slip with your tongue, Lest you fall victim before him who lies in wait.