LISTEN
New American Standard Bible:
The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
New Living Translation:
Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.
New King James Version:
He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
New International Version:
Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.
Amplified Bible:
The one who guards his mouth [thinking before he speaks] protects his life; the one who opens his lips wide [and chatters without thinking] comes to ruin.
Context:
In Proverbs 13:3, the wisdom writer gives a truism about the danger of the tongue and the need to be careful about what we say.
Observations:
Guarding our lips – or as the Amplified Bible says it, thinking before we speak – has the ability to protect our very life. We know from another Proverb that the tongue has the power of life and death.
On the other hand, opening our lips wide – or talking without thought or consideration – leads to ruin.
Application:
In a world of technological advancements and instantaneous feedback, being considerate about our words can be very difficult. But we must be careful, lest we unleash the potentially devastating power of the tongue.
