And the tongueis a fire,the [very] worldof iniquity;the tongueis setamongour membersas that which defilesthe entirebody,and setson firethe courseof [our] life,and is set on fireby hell.
Then Absalomsaidto Ahithophel,"Giveyour advice.Whatshall we do?"
But the menof Israelansweredthe menof Judahand said,"We have tenpartsin the king,therefore we alsohave more[claim] on Davidthanyou. Whythen did you treatus with contempt?Was it not our advicefirstto bringbackour king?"Yet the wordsof the menof Judahwere harsherthanthe wordsof the menof Israel.
Abijahand his peopledefeatedthem with a greatslaughter,so that 500,000chosenmenof Israelfellslain.
They sharpentheir tonguesas a serpent;Poisonof a viperis undertheir lips.Selah.
Whohave sharpenedtheir tonguelike a sword.They aimedbitterspeech[as] their arrow,
A gentleanswerturnsawaywrath,But a harshwordstirsup anger.
A worthlessmandigsup evil,Whilehis wordsare like scorchingfire.
A false witness[who] utterslies,And one who spreadsstrifeamongbrothers.
That they may keepyou from an adulteress,From the foreignerwho flatterswith her words.
Behold,the nameof the LORDcomesfrom a remoteplace;Burningis His angerand denseis [His] smoke;His lipsare filledwith indignationAnd His tongueis like a consumingfire;
Behold,allyou who kindlea fire,Who encircleyourselves with firebrands,Walkin the lightof your fireAnd among the brandsyou have setablaze.Thisyou will havefrom My hand:You will liedownin torment.
For I have heardthe whisperingof many,"Terroron everyside!Denounce[him]; yes, let us denouncehim!" Allmy trustedfriends,Watchingfor my fall,say: "Perhapshe will be deceived,so that we may prevailagainst him And takeour revengeon him."
"Thereforethussaysthe LORD,Behold,I am about to removeyou from the faceof the earth.This yearyou are going to die,becauseyou have counseledrebellionagainstthe LORD.'"
The sonof the Israelitewomanblasphemedthe Nameand cursed.So they broughthim to Moses.(Now his mother'snamewas Shelomith,the daughterof Dibri,of the tribeof Dan.)
For they invitedthe peopleto the sacrificesof their gods,and the peopleateand boweddownto their gods.
"Behold,thesecausedthe sonsof Israel,through the counselof Balaam,to trespassagainst the LORDin the matterof Peor,so the plaguewas among the congregationof the LORD.
But when the Phariseesheard[this], they said,"This mancastsout demonsonlyby Beelzebulthe rulerof the demons."
"But I sayto you that everyonewho is angrywith his brothershall be guiltybefore the court;and whoeversaysto his brother,You good-for-nothing,'shall be guiltybefore the supreme court;and whoeversays,'You fool,'shall be guilty[enough to go] into the fieryhell.
there is nothingoutsidethe manwhich candefilehim if it goesinto him; but the things which proceedout of the manare what defilethe man.
"And he criedout and said,FatherAbraham,have mercyon me, and sendLazarussothat he may dipthe tipof his fingerin waterand cooloff my tongue,for I am in agonyin thisflame.'
and from amongyour own selvesmenwill arise,speakingperverse things,to draw awaythe disciplesafterthem.
But Petersaid,"Ananias,whyhas Satanfilledyour heartto lieto the HolySpiritand to keep back[some] of the priceof the land?
They put forwardfalse witnesseswho said,"Thismanincessantlyspeaksagainstthisholyplaceand the Law;
"Ifyour brother,your mother'sson,oryour sonordaughter,orthe wifeyou cherish,oryour friendwhois as your own soul,enticeyou secretly,saying,Let us goand serveothergods(whomneitheryou noryour fathershave known,
whomustbe silencedbecausethey are upsettingwholefamilies,teachingthingsthey shouldnot [teach] for the sakeof sordidgain.
Do they not blasphemethe fairnameby which you have been called?
For everyspeciesof beastsand birds,of reptilesand creatures of the sea,is tamedand has been tamedby the humanrace.
Knowthisfirstof all, that in the lastdaysmockerswill comewith [their] mocking,followingaftertheir ownlusts,
For thisreason,ifI come,I will call attentionto his deedswhichhe does,unjustly accusingus with wickedwords;and not satisfiedwith this,he himselfdoes not receivethe brethren,either,and he forbidsthosewho desire[to do so] and puts[them] out of the church.
And the greatdragonwas throwndown, the serpentof oldwho is calledthe deviland Satan,who deceivesthe wholeworld;he was throwndown to the earth,and his angelswere throwndown with him.
And he deceivesthosewho dwellon the earthbecauseof the signswhichit was givenhim to performin the presenceof the beast,tellingthosewho dwellon the earthto makean imageto the beastwhohadthe woundof the swordand has come to life.
and the lightof a lampwill not shinein you anylonger;and the voiceof the bridegroomand bridewill not be heardin you any longer;for your merchantswere the great menof the earth,becauseallthe nationswere deceivedby your sorcery.
And the beastwas seized,and with him the false prophetwho performedthe signsin his presence,by whichhe deceivedthosewho had receivedthe markof the beastand thosewho worshipedhis image;thesetwowere thrownaliveinto the lakeof firewhich burnswith brimstone.
