¹ The one who seeks vengeance will be paid vengeance from the Lord, and he who keeps a record will have his own sins recorded.

² Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.

³ Does one person harbour anger against another and yet seek for healing from the Lord?

⁴ Does he have no mercy towards someone like himself and yet pray concerning his own sins?

⁵ If he himself, being flesh, maintains wrath, who will make atonement for his sins?

⁶ Remember the end of your life and cease from enmity, remember destruction and death and be true to the commandments.

⁷ Remember the commandments and do not be angry with your neighbour; remember the covenant of the Most High and overlook error.

⁸ Refrain from strife, and you will lessen sins; for a person given to anger will kindle strife,

⁹ and a sinful man will disturb friends and inject enmity among those who are at peace.

¹⁰ In proportion to the fuel for the fire, so will it burn, and in proportion to the obstinacy of strife, so will it increase; in proportion to a person’s strength will be his anger, and in proportion to his wealth he will heighten his wrath.

¹¹ A hasty quarrel kindles fire, and hasty strife sheds blood.

The Evil Tongue

¹² If you blow on a spark, it will glow; if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth.

¹³ Curse the whisperer and double-tongued, for he has destroyed many who were at peace.

¹⁴ Slander has shaken many and scattered them from nation to nation and destroyed strong cities and overturned the houses of great men.

¹⁵ Slander has driven away courageous women and deprived them of the fruit of their toil.

¹⁶ Whoever pays heed to it will not find rest, nor will he settle down in peace.

¹⁷ The blow of a whip raises a welt, but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.

¹⁸ Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have fallen because of the tongue.

¹⁹ Happy is the one who is protected from it, who has not been exposed to its anger, who has not borne its yoke and has not been bound with its fetters;

²⁰ for its yoke is a yoke of iron, and its fetters are fetters of bronze;

²¹ its death is an evil death, and Hades is preferable to it.

²² It will not be master over the godly, and they will not be burned in its flame.

²³ Those who forsake the Lord will fall into its power; it will burn among them and will not be put out. It will be sent out against them like a lion; like a leopard it will mangle them.

^24a See, you fence in your property with thorns,

^25b so make a door and a bolt for your mouth.

^24b You lock up your silver and gold;

^25a likewise make balances and scales for your words,

²⁶ beware lest you err with your tongue, lest you fall before the one who lies in wait.