Top 25 Bible Verses About Hurtful Words (ESV)

18   There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

15:1   A soft answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

21   Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
    and those who love it will eat its fruits.

23   Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
    keeps himself out of trouble.

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

4   A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
    but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For

  “Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
  let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11   let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12   For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
  But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

14   Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

24   Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

13   Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.

9   With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
    but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

10   Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

9   Whoever covers an offense seeks love,
    but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

3   who whet their tongues like swords,
    who aim bitter words like arrows,