Campaign for Verbal Offences to be Stopped Altogether, Starting with Yourself

Entertain No Verbal Offence

¹⁰ You should not provide a sinner with more opportunity to sin. You might get hurt yourself; it’s as easy as getting burned while adding logs to the fire. SIRACH 8

³  Don’t listen to anyone who would insult your home and family. SIRACH 29

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. ¹⁵ My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths. PROVERBS 1

¹⁸ Don’t join up with a crowd of sinners; remember that the Lord’s punishment is sure to come. SIRACH 7

If verbal offences have no takers, the excitement of fools to dish it out would wane. (Taming of the Tongue)

²⁰ Turn away from godless chatter. 1 TIMOTHY 6

²⁷ Do not allow yourself to be dominated by someone who is stupid. SIRACH 4

⁷ Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. PROVERBS 14

¹³ The stories that foolish people tell are offensive, and they make jokes about the worst kind of sin. ¹⁴ When such people curse, it is enough to make your hair stand on end, and when they start arguing among themselves, all you can do is stop up your ears. ¹⁵ It is painful to listen to them insult each other, and such blistering can lead to violence. SIRACH 27

¹⁷ You should not ask a stupid person for advice. He will not be able to keep secret what you tell him. SIRACH 8

¹⁴ Take advice only from those who are qualified to give it. SIRACH 9

¹¹ Don’t ask a woman for advice about a rival of hers, a coward about war, a merchant about a bargain, a buyer about selling, a stingy person about gratitude, a cruel person about kindness, a lazy person about work, a casual worker about finishing a job, a slave about a difficult task. SIRACH 37

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. EPHESIANS 5

Treat liars, gossips, slanderers, mockers and trouble-makers as deadly swine flu carriers.

¹³ Avoid them; then they can’t contaminate you, and you can live in peace without being troubled or worn down by their foolishness. SIRACH 22

¹³ Nobody feels sorry for snake charmers or wild animal tamers who get bitten, ¹⁴ and nobody will feel sorry for you if you run around with sinners and get involved in their wrongdoing. SIRACH 12

³⁰ A proud person is a decoy to lure you into danger; like a spy, he will look for your weaknesses. ³¹ He will make good appear evil and find fault with the noblest actions. ³² Just as a single spark can set a pile of coals ablaze, and a sinner is just waiting for a chance to do violence. ³³ Watch out for such people and their evil plans; they will ruin you permanently. SIRACH 11

² Avoid sin as if it were a snake. If you get too near, it will sink its teeth into your soul like a lion, and destroy you. SIRACH 21

Do Not Believe Everything You Hear (Sirach 19:15)

²⁵ Though [the] speech [of a malicious man] is charming, do not believe him. PROVERBS 26

²⁸ Whoever listens to a [liar] false witness will be destroyed forever. PROVERBS 21

Do not be easily provoked. Allow no one to goad you into sin.

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. PROVERBS 26

²⁴ Fumes and smoke appear before the flames do, insults come before violence. SIRACH 22

¹⁶ A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. PROVERBS 12

⁶ Don’t do anything out of an injured pride. SIRACH 10

⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood. PROVERBS 12

³ Do not argue with someone who talks too much; you will just be adding fuel to his fire. SIRACH 8

¹⁰ The more the fuel, the hotter the fire. ¹¹ An argument that blazes out suddenly can lead to violence. You can blow on a spark to make it glow, or you can spit on it to put it out. Either way, you do it with your mouth. SIRACH 28

If you suppose there is dishonesty, innuendo or false teaching in what is said, verify the truth. Do it in front of the verbal offender to make him shy away from you and from repeating the same offence.

¹³ If you hear that a friend has done something wrong, ask him about it. Maybe it isn’t true. If it is true, [so] he won’t do it again. SIRACH 19

³¹ A perverse tongue will be cut out. PROVERBS 10

¹⁰ Drive out a mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. PROVERBS 22