Welcome, friends, to our exploration of the Scriptures that address the topic of gossip. In this study, we will delve into the wisdom and insights found in God's Word regarding the power of our words and the detrimental effects of gossip. Together, we will reflect on how gossip can damage relationships, sow seeds of discord, and undermine the fabric of trust within communities. As we examine these passages, let us open our hearts and minds to the transformative message they hold. May this study challenge us to examine our own words and actions, and empower us to cultivate a culture of kindness, integrity, and grace in our speech. Let us embark on this journey of discovery, guided by the timeless truths found within the Scriptures.
- Proverbs 11:13 -"A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret."
- Proverbs 16:28 -"A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends."
- Proverbs 18:8 - "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts."
- Proverbs 20:19 -"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much."
- Proverbs 26:20 - "Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down."
- Psalm 101:5 - "Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate."
- James 4:11 - "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it."
- Leviticus 19:16 - "Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord."
- Ephesians 4:29 - "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."
- Proverbs 10:18 -"Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool."
- 1 Timothy 5:13 - "Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to."
- Proverbs 17:9 - "Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends."
- Romans 1:29-30 - "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents."
- Exodus 23:1 - "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness."
- 2 Corinthians 12:20 - "For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."
- Proverbs 6:16-19 - "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."
- 1 Peter 2:1 - "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."
- Matthew 12:36 - "But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken."
- Proverbs 20:19 - "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much."
- Proverbs 25:9-10 - "If you take your neighbor to court, do not betray another’s confidence, or the one who hears it may shame you and the charge against you will stand."
- 2 Timothy 2:16 - "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly."
- Proverbs 13:3 - "Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin."
- Proverbs 21:23 - "Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity."
- Psalm 34:13 - "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies."
- Proverbs 26:22 - "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts."'