"You broodof vipers,howcanyou, beingevil,speakwhat is good?For the mouthspeaksout of that which fillsthe heart.
The foolhas saidin his heart,"Thereis noGod,"They are corrupt,and have committedabominableinjustice;Thereis noonewho doesgood.
Whohave sharpenedtheir tonguelike a sword.They aimedbitterspeech[as] their arrow,
They holdfastto themselves an evilpurpose;They talkof layingsnaressecretly;They say,"Whocan seethem?"
The heartof the wiseinstructshis mouthAnd addspersuasivenessto his lips.
Watchover your heartwith alldiligence,For from it [flow] the springsof life.
For a foolspeaksnonsense,And his heartinclinestoward wickedness:To practiceungodlinessand to speakerroragainstthe LORD,To keepthe hungrypersonunsatisfiedAnd to withholddrinkfrom the thirsty.
Justiceis turnedback,And righteousnessstandsfaraway;For truthhas stumbledin the street,And uprightnesscannotenter.
Noonesuesrighteouslyand noonepleadshonestly.They trustin confusionand speaklies;They conceivemischiefand bringforthiniquity.
Thereforethe Lorddoes not takepleasurein their youngmen,Nordoes He havepityon their orphansor their widows;For everyoneof them is godlessand an evildoer,And everymouthis speakingfoolishness.In [spite of] allthis,His angerdoes not turnawayAnd His handis stillstretchedout.
"The goodmanbringsout of [his] goodtreasurewhat is good;and the evilmanbringsout of [his] eviltreasurewhat is evil.
"But the things that proceedout of the mouthcomefrom the heart,and thosedefilethe man.
"You serpents,you broodof vipers,howwill you escapethe sentenceof hell?
But when he sawmanyof the Phariseesand Sadduceescomingfor baptism,he saidto them, "You broodof vipers,whowarnedyou to fleefrom the wrathto come?
Sohe [began] sayingto the crowdswho were goingout to be baptizedby him, "You broodof vipers,whowarnedyou to fleefrom the wrathto come?
"The goodmanout of the goodtreasureof his heartbringsforthwhat is good;and the evil[man] out of the evil[treasure] brings forthwhat is evil;for his mouthspeaksfrom that which fillshis heart.
"You are of [your] fatherthe devil,and you wantto dothe desiresof your father.He was a murdererfrom the beginning,and does not standin the truthbecausethere is notruthin him. Wheneverhe speaksa lie,he speaksfrom his own[nature], for he is a liarand the fatherof lies.
Let nounwholesomewordproceedfrom your mouth,but onlysuch[a word] as is goodfor edificationaccording to the need[of the moment], sothat it will givegraceto thosewho hear.
and [there must be no] filthinessand silly talk,orcoarse jesting,whichare not fitting,but rathergiving of thanks.
For we allstumblein many[ways]. Ifanyonedoes not stumblein what he says,he is a perfectman,ableto bridlethe wholebodyas well.
By thisthe childrenof Godand the childrenof the devilare obvious:anyonewho does not practicerighteousnessis not of God,northe one who does not lovehis brother.
"As the proverbof the ancientssays,Out of the wickedcomesforthwickedness;but my handshall not be against you.
