Proverbs 26:20

New International Reader's Version

If you don’t have wood, your fire goes out. If you don’t talk about others, arguing dies down.

Cross References

Proverbs 16:28

A twisted person stirs up conflict. Anyone who talks about others separates close friends.

Proverbs 22:10

If you drive away those who make fun of others, fighting also goes away. Arguing and unkind words will stop.

Proverbs 26:22

The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food. They go deep down inside you.

Leviticus 19:16

“ ‘Do not go around spreading lies among your people. “ ‘Do not do anything that puts your neighbor’s life in danger. I am the Lord.

James 3:5

In the same way, the tongue is a small part of a person’s body. But it talks big. Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire.

James 3:6

The tongue is also a fire. The tongue is the most evil part of the body. It makes the whole body impure. It sets a person’s whole way of life on fire. And the tongue itself is set on fire by hell.