Add parallel Print Page Options

22 The wise person storms the city of the mighty,
    and overthrows the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Those who guard mouth and tongue
    guard themselves[a] from trouble.(A)
24 Proud, boastful—scoffer is the name:
    those who act with overbearing pride.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 21:23 Themselves: see note on 13:3. To guard your “self” (lit., “throat,” the moist and breathing center of the body, by metonymy, “life”), you must guard your tongue. Speech in Proverbs is the quintessential human activity and often has a meaning broader than speech alone; it can stand for all human activity. Acting rightly is the best way to protect yourself from evil.