Proverbs 18:21
19 An offended brother is harder to win than a fortified city, and disputes are like the bars of a castle.
20 From the fruit of his mouth a man’s belly is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
23 The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- KJV
- Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
- WEB
- Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
- ASV
- Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
- DARBY
- Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
- BLB
- Death and life [are] in the hand of the tongue, and those loving it will eat its fruit.
- ÅB
- Død og liv er i tungens vold, og hver den som gjerne bruker den, skal spise dens frukt.
- OTB
- Tungen har makt over liv og død, og de som elsker den vil spise dens frukt.
- B1930
- Død og liv er i tungens vold, og hver den som gjerne bruker den, skal ete dens frukt.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
Read in contextMatthew 12:35–37
The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.
Read in contextColossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Read in contextProverbs 10:19–21
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
Read in contextJames 3:6–9
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Read in contextProverbs 13:2–3
From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the desire of the faithless is violence.
Read in contextProverbs 10:31
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
Read in contextProverbs 18:4–7
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Read in context