11 translations · Hebrew
Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Proverbs 13:3 in 11 translations
- WEB World English Bible
- He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
- KJV King James Version
- He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
- BSB Berean Standard Bible
- He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
- ASV American Standard Version
- He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life; But he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
- LSV Literal Standard Version
- Whoever is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, || Whoever is opening wide his lips—ruin to him!
- FBV Free Bible Version
- Watch what you say and save your life—saying too much leads to disaster.
- YLT Young’s Literal Translation
- Whoso is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, Whoso is opening wide his lips — ruin to him!
- DBY Darby Translation
- He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his soul; destruction shall be to him that openeth wide his lips.
- WBT Webster’s Bible
- He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
- WEBC World English Bible (Catholic)
- He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
- DRA Douay-Rheims 1899
- He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul: but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils.
The Hebrew words
Each word of the Hebrew text in order, with its transliteration, the Berean Standard Bible’s English for it, and its Strong’s number and short definition.
| Word | Transliteration | English (BSB) | Strong’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| נֹצֵ֣ר | nō·ṣêr | He who guards | H5341 נָצַר to watch |
| פִּ֭יו | pîw | his mouth | H6310 פֶּה lip |
| שֹׁמֵ֣ר | šō·mêr | protects | H8104 שָׁמַר to keep: obey |
| נַפְשׁ֑וֹ | nap̄·šōw | his life | H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul |
| פֹּשֵׂ֥ק | pō·śêq | [but] the one who opens | H6589 פָּשַׂק to open |
| שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו | śə·p̲ā·t̲āyw | his lips | H8193 שָׂפָה lips |
| מְחִתָּה־ | mə·ḥit·tāh- | invites his own ruin | H4288 מְחִתָּה terror |
| לֽוֹ׃ | lōw | — | H9005 ל to/for |
Related verses
- Proverbs 21:23
Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.
- Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Proverbs 18:7
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
- James 3:2–12
For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body. Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires. …
- Psalm 39:1
I said, “I will watch my ways, so that I don’t sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”
- Matthew 12:36–37
I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
- Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely.
- Proverbs 20:19
He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
- James 1:26
If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
- Proverbs 12:13
An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.
Cross references from OpenBible.info, CC BY 4.0, most-voted first; text from the World English Bible.
In context
1 A wise son listens to his father’s instruction, but a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke.
2 By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.
3 He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
4 The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.
5 A righteous man hates lies, but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.
Read all of Proverbs 13 in the World English Bible.
Edition and source notes
Each translation is shown as its source prints it, in its own verse numbering; where an edition numbers this verse differently, its own reference is given. The World English Bible, King James Version and Berean Standard Bible link to their chapter pages. Edition notes.
Literal Standard Version (2020) © Covenant Press and the Covenant Christian Coalition, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license. Free Bible Version (2018) © Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license.
The original words and their English come from the Berean Standard Bible translation tables (public domain); lemmas and short definitions from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0), with Greek definitions based on Abbott-Smith.
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