80 Powerful Bible Verses About Gossip and Lies

Let me ask you something that might make you shift uncomfortably in your seat: when was the last time you passed along a piece of information about someone that you had not verified, or worse, that you knew was not entirely true but it was just too juicy to keep to yourself? If you are honest, most of us have a complicated relationship with gossip and lies, because on the one hand, we hate it when it happens to us, but on the other hand, there is something strangely compelling about being the one who knows something that someone else does not. That is exactly why I have gathered these 80 powerful Bible verses about gossip and lies for 2026, because the tongue is the hardest member of the body to tame, as James says, and gossip and lies are two of the most common ways that otherwise good people tear each other apart without ever throwing a punch. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven things that the Lord hates, and right at the top of that list are “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who pours out lies” and “a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” That is not a suggestion; that is a warning.

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Now, let me be honest with you about the damage that gossip and lies cause, because I think we have become numb to it. We call it “sharing information” or “venting” or “just telling the truth,” but the Bible calls it what it is: destruction. Proverbs 18:8 says, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” That means gossip feels good going in, like a delicious snack, but it poisons you from the inside out. And lies? Lies are not just harmless exaggerations or social lubricants to avoid awkwardness; they are the native language of the devil himself. Jesus said in John 8:44 that the devil “is a liar and the father of lies.” That means every time you tell a lie, you are speaking the native language of the enemy, and every time you spread gossip, you are doing his work for him. These 80 powerful Bible verses about gossip and lies for 2026 are not here to make you feel guilty; they are here to wake you up to the severity of something we have learned to treat as normal.

Here is the hard truth that has destroyed friendships, split churches, ruined marriages, and ended careers: gossip and lies are often treated as minor sins, little white lies and harmless chatter that everyone does, so how bad can it really be? But the Bible does not treat them as minor. The Bible treats gossip and lies alongside murder, idolatry, and sexual immorality. In Romans 1:29-32, Paul lists gossips and slanderers in a catalog of depravity that includes envy, strife, deceit, and ruthlessness. In 2 Corinthians 12:20, Paul worries that when he visits the church, he might find “quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” Gossip is not a personality quirk; it is a spiritual problem that grieves the Holy Spirit and damages the body of Christ in ways that take years to repair. If you have been treating gossip as no big deal, these verses will challenge that assumption.

Whether you are struggling with a lying habit that you cannot seem to break, you are part of a church or workplace culture where gossip is the norm, you have been wounded by someone’s lies about you, or you simply want to live in a way that honors God with your words, these verses are for you. I have organized these 80 powerful Bible verses about gossip and lies for 2026 into categories so you can find exactly what you need: verses about God’s hatred of lying, verses about the destructive power of gossip, verses about the tongue as a fire, verses about being a trustworthy person, verses about slander and false accusations, verses about the consequences of gossip and lies, verses about speaking truth in love, and verses about protecting your reputation from the lies of others. Let these Scriptures convict you, heal you, and set you free from the trap of words that destroy.

Verses About God’s Hatred of Lying

These verses establish that lying is not a small thing to God. It is not something He overlooks or excuses. He hates it, and He is clear about why.

1. 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 to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” Notice that a lying tongue and a false witness appear in this list right next to murder. God does not rank lies as minor.

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2. Proverbs 12:22 – “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.” The contrast is stark: God detests one and delights in the other. Which one do you want to be on the receiving end of?

3. Leviticus 19:11 – “Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” This command from the Old Testament law is simple, direct, and leaves no wiggle room. Do not lie. Do not deceive.

4. Proverbs 19:5 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.” There is no such thing as a consequence-free lie. You may get away with it from people, but God is watching.

5. Proverbs 19:9 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.” The repetition of this warning in the same chapter tells us that God really wants us to get this message.

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6. Exodus 23:1 – “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.” Spreading a false report is not neutral; it is helping the guilty and harming the innocent.

7. Psalm 5:6 – “You destroy those who tell lies. The Lord detests the bloodthirsty and deceitful.” God destroys liars. That is not a metaphor; it is a statement of divine judgment.

8. Proverbs 12:19 – “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Lies may feel powerful in the moment, but they have no staying power. Truth outlasts every lie.

9. Revelation 21:8 – “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” The list includes murderers and then says “all liars.” Lying is listed alongside murder in the final judgment.

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10. Proverbs 17:4 – “A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.” The company you keep matters. If you love listening to lies, you are walking with wicked people.

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Verses About The Destructive Power of Gossip

These verses zoom in specifically on gossip, showing how it destroys relationships, communities, and individual souls. Gossip is not harmless chatter; it is a weapon.

11. Proverbs 16:28 – “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” Gossip does not just annoy people; it destroys friendships that took years to build.

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12. Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” Gossip is the fuel that keeps quarrels burning. If you want a fight to end, stop spreading information about it.

13. Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” When someone tells you something in confidence and you repeat it, you are not sharing; you are betraying.

14. Proverbs 20:19 – “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” This verse gives you permission to distance yourself from people who cannot keep their mouths shut.

15. 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.” Paul lists gossip right alongside jealousy, rage, and arrogance as things he dreads finding in the church.

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16. Romans 1:29-32 – “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.” Once again, gossip appears in a list of severe sins that includes murder.

17. 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.” Paul warns about idleness leading to gossip. Busy hands are less likely to be busy mouths.

18. Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” Gossip feels good in the moment, but it lodges itself in your spirit and corrupts you from within.

19. Proverbs 26:22 – “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” The repetition of this proverb in Proverbs tells us that Solomon knew how tempting gossip is and wanted to warn us twice.

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20. 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.” Slander is not separate from endangering a life. Words can kill reputations, and ruined reputations can ruin lives.

Verses About The Tongue as a Fire

These verses use powerful imagery to show that the tongue, though small, can cause catastrophic damage. James is the primary source here, but the theme runs throughout Scripture.

21. James 3:5-6 – “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” A small spark can destroy a forest. A small word can destroy a life.

22. James 3:7-8 – “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” If you feel like you cannot control your tongue, you are not alone. No one can tame it without the help of the Holy Spirit.

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23. Proverbs 15:4 – “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Your words either give life or crush spirits. There is no neutral option.

24. Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Death by words is real. You can kill someone’s hope, someone’s reputation, someone’s will to live, all with your tongue.

25. Matthew 12:36-37 – “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Every empty word, every careless word, every gossipy word, you will answer for it.

26. Psalm 34:13 – “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” This is not a suggestion; it is a command backed by a promise: those who do this will see good days.

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27. Proverbs 21:23 – “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” So much trouble in life comes from words. Guard your mouth, and you will avoid a lot of that trouble.

28. 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.” Unwholesome talk includes gossip, lies, slander, and anything that tears down. Build up instead.

29. Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Grace-filled conversation is the opposite of gossip and lies. Season your words like you would season food: with intention.

30. Psalm 141:3 – “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” This is a prayer you can pray every single morning. Ask God to guard your mouth like a soldier guards a gate.

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Verse About Being a Trustworthy Person

These verses shift from warning to positive instruction. Instead of just avoiding gossip and lies, you are called to become the kind of person who is known for truthfulness and discretion.

31. Proverbs 11:3 – “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” Integrity means your words and your actions match. Duplicity means saying one thing and doing another.

32. Psalm 15:1-3 – “Lord, who may dwell in Your sacred tent? Who may live on Your holy hill? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.” This is the profile of someone who can live close to God: no slander, no slurs, no gossip.

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33. Zechariah 8:16 – “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.” Speaking truth is not optional; it is commanded.

34. Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” When you lie to another believer, you are damaging your own body because you are connected to them.

35. Proverbs 12:17 – “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.” Simple. Clear. No ambiguity. The honest witness tells the truth.

36. Proverbs 14:5 – “An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.” The phrase “pours out lies” suggests abundance, like water from a jug. Some people do not just lie occasionally; they pour them out.

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37. Proverbs 24:28 – “Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—would you use your lips to deceive?” Do not speak against someone just because you can. Without cause, keep your mouth shut.

38. 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.” Breaking a confidence to win an argument is not worth it. You will be shamed for it.

39. Proverbs 28:23 – “Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue.” Flattery is a form of lying. Honest correction, even when it stings, is better than smooth words that deceive.

40. 1 Peter 3:10 – “For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.'” Peter quotes Psalm 34. If you want to love life and see good days, start with your tongue.

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Verses About Slander and False Accusations

These verses deal with the specific sin of saying false things about someone to harm their reputation. Slander is a step beyond gossip because it is intentionally destructive.

41. 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.” God promises to silence slanderers. They may be loud now, but they will be silenced.

42. Exodus 23:1 – “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.” Spreading a false report makes you complicit in the harm that follows.

43. Deuteronomy 19:16-19 – “If a malicious witness testifies against someone accusing them of a crime, the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party.” The punishment for lying under oath was to receive the penalty you tried to put on someone else. That is how seriously God takes slander.

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44. Psalm 109:2-3 – “For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me; they speak against me with lying tongues. They surround me with words of hatred and attack me without cause.” David knew what it felt like to be slandered. You are not alone if you have experienced this.

45. Jeremiah 9:4-5 – “Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.” Jeremiah lived in a time when slander was so common that you could not trust anyone. It broke his heart.

46. Proverbs 10:18 – “Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.” Slander is not clever; it is foolish. It may make you feel powerful, but it makes you look stupid in the eyes of God.

47. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 – “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Slander appears on Paul’s list of last-days sins. It is a sign of terrible times.

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48. Titus 2:3-4 – “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children.” Slander is specifically named as something older women must avoid so they can mentor the younger generation.

49. 1 Peter 2:1 – “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” Slander is listed with malice, deceit, hypocrisy, and envy. It is not a minor sin.

50. 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.” Slandering a fellow believer is not just hurting them; it is judging God’s law.

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Scripture About The Consequences of Gossip and Lies

These verses show what happens to people who persist in gossip and lies. The consequences are not always immediate, but they are certain.

51. Proverbs 19:5 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.” Repeating this verse because it is so important. Punishment is coming for false witnesses.

52. Hosea 4:1-2 – “Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge against you who live in the land: ‘There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.'” Lying is listed with murder and adultery as evidence that a society has rejected God.

53. Proverbs 21:28 – “A false witness will perish, but a careful listener will testify successfully.” The liar perishes; the careful listener thrives.

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54. Proverbs 25:18 – “Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.” Words can be weapons. False testimony is a club, a sword, and an arrow all at once.

55. Wisdom of Sirach 28:14 (Deuterocanonical) – “The gossip has ruined many people and has driven them from house to house; it has destroyed the strongholds of rich people and torn down the houses of rulers.” While not in the Protestant canon, this verse from the Apocrypha shows how seriously ancient Jewish wisdom treated gossip.

56. Psalm 12:2-4 – “Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue, those who say, ‘By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?'” God promises to silence the liars who think their words will save them.

57. Proverbs 13:5 – “The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.” Liars become a stench, not just a nuisance. People can smell the falseness on them.

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58. Proverbs 19:9 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.” The second half says “perish,” not just “be punished.” Persistent lying leads to destruction.

59. Matthew 15:18-20 – “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person.” False testimony and slander come from the same heart that produces murder and adultery. They are not separate.

60. Revelation 22:15 – “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” Outside the gates of the New Jerusalem are liars. Not just those who tell lies, but those who love falsehood.

Verses About Speaking Truth in Love

These verses provide the positive alternative to gossip and lies. It is not enough to stop saying bad things; you must start saying good, true things.

61. Ephesians 4:15 – “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Truth without love is brutality. Love without truth is flattery. Truth in love is what builds up.

62. Zechariah 8:16-17 – “Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this, declares the Lord.” Truth, sound judgment, no evil plotting, no false swearing. That is the recipe for a healthy community.

63. Colossians 3:9-10 – “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Lying is old-self behavior. You have put on the new self, so act like it.

64. Proverbs 31:26 – “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” The Proverbs 31 woman is not known for gossip; she is known for wisdom and faithful instruction.

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65. Psalm 19:14 – “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” A daily prayer that your words would please God, not damage people.

66. Proverbs 15:1 – “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Gossip is often harsh. Gentle answers de-escalate; gossip escalates.

67. Proverbs 16:24 – “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Your words can either be poison or honey. Which one are you serving?

68. Ecclesiastes 3:7 – “A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.” Not every piece of information needs to be shared. Learn the time to be silent.

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69. Proverbs 10:19 – “When words are many, sin is not absent, but those who hold their tongues are wise.” The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin with your mouth. Silence is often wisdom.

70. Matthew 5:37 – “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Let your yes be yes and your no be no. No embellishment, no exaggeration, no lies.

Verses For Protecting Your Reputation from the Lies of Others

These verses are for the person who has been wounded by gossip and lies. You cannot control what others say about you, but you can trust God to defend you.

71. Psalm 31:13-15 – “For I hear the whispering of many—terror on every side—they conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in You, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hands.” When people whisper about you, put your times in God’s hands.

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72. Psalm 27:1-3 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.” The slanderers will stumble. God is your stronghold.

73. Psalm 109:4-5 – “In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.” David’s response to slander was not more slander; it was prayer.

74. Isaiah 54:17 – “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.” This is a promise. The weapons of gossip and lies will not ultimately prevail against you.

75. Romans 8:31-34 – “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” When people lie about you, remember who is on your side. God is for you.

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76. 1 Peter 2:23 – “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” Jesus was slandered, lied about, and falsely accused. He did not retaliate; He entrusted Himself to the Father. You can do the same.

77. Psalm 37:5-6 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” God will vindicate you. You do not have to defend yourself with your own gossipy counterattacks.

78. Matthew 5:11-12 – “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” Being slandered for righteousness is not a curse; it is a blessing. Your reward in heaven is great.

79. Romans 12:19 – “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is Mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” When someone lies about you, revenge is not your job. Vengeance belongs to God.

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80. Psalm 7:1-2 – “Lord my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.” When gossip and lies feel like lions tearing at you, take refuge in God. He is the only safe place.

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Conclusion

If you have read through all eighty of these powerful Bible verses about gossip and lies, you are probably feeling one of two things: either deeply convicted because you recognize your own patterns, or deeply wounded because you recognize what has been done to you. Maybe you are feeling both, and that is a heavy weight to carry. Here is what I want you to know: God is not done with you, no matter which side of the gossip you have been on. If you have been the one spreading lies and rumors, there is forgiveness waiting for you, but forgiveness requires repentance, and repentance requires that you stop. Not slow down, not try harder, not do better next time. Stop. The tongue is a fire, but the Holy Spirit can extinguish that fire and replace it with words that heal. Go to the people you have hurt, confess what you have done, and ask for their forgiveness. It will be humiliating, but humility is the path to healing.

If you have been the one wounded by gossip and lies, I want you to hear this with every fiber of your being: it was not your fault. Their words say everything about them and nothing about you. You did not deserve to have your reputation torn apart by people who were too cowardly to say it to your face. You did not deserve to have your secrets betrayed by someone you trusted. You did not deserve to have lies spread about you while you were not even in the room to defend yourself. But here is what you also need to hear: you do not have to become what they said you are. Their lies do not define you. God defines you. And God says you are His treasured possession, His child, His handiwork, His beloved. Let the truth of what God says about you be louder than the lies.

Now, let me give you some practical steps for both groups. For the person who struggles with gossip and lies: first, start a “tongue journal” for one week. Every time you say something negative about someone who is not in the room, write it down. You will be shocked at how often you do it. Second, set a rule for yourself: before you repeat anything about anyone, ask three questions. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? If it fails any of those three, keep it to yourself. Third, memorize one verse from this list and repeat it to yourself every time you feel the urge to gossip or lie. Proverbs 18:21 is a good start: “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Choose life.

For the person who has been wounded by gossip and lies: first, take Psalm 7:1 and write it on your mirror: “Lord my God, I take refuge in You.” When the lies echo in your head, run to God, not to revenge. Second, you do not have to correct every rumor. Some lies die faster when you ignore them than when you fight them. Choose your battles wisely. Third, and this is the hardest one, pray for the people who lied about you. Yes, pray for them. Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you. That prayer will do more to heal your heart than any amount of venting ever could.

Finally, let me leave you with this: the world is starving for people who speak the truth in love. Churches are desperate for members who refuse to gossip. Families are torn apart by cousins who cannot keep secrets and parents who lie to their children. You have an opportunity to be different. You have an opportunity to be a person of such integrity, such truthfulness, such discretion that people around you know, without a doubt, that whatever you say can be trusted. That kind of reputation is priceless, and it is built one word at a time, one day at a time, one decision at a time. Start today. The next time you open your mouth, ask yourself, “Is this true? Is this kind? Is this necessary?” And if it is not, close your mouth. The silence will be the most powerful thing you have ever said.