What Does the Bible Say About Inappropriate Language?

Ephesians 4:29 ESV / 6 helpful votes

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.

Colossians 3:8 ESV / 4 helpful votes

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

James 3:1-18 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 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! ...

John 14:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2 Peter 3:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

As he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:3-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

2 Peter 3:1-18 ESV / 2 helpful votes

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, ...

Titus 1:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes

In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

1 Timothy 1:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

2 Thessalonians 2:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,

Ephesians 5:1-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

1 Corinthians 14:33 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

Romans 1:24-27 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Luke 22:53 ESV / 2 helpful votes

When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Luke 21:1-38 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ...

Mark 13:1-37 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ...

Matthew 24:1-51 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ...

Matthew 16:18 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 15:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes

It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Jonah 3:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Amos 7:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The Lord relented concerning this: “It shall not be,” said the Lord.

Joel 2:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Ezekiel 23:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses.

Ezekiel 4:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung.”

Jeremiah 42:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.

Jeremiah 26:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”

Jeremiah 26:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you.

Jeremiah 26:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes

It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds.

Jeremiah 18:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.

Jeremiah 18:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.

Isaiah 45:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes

I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Isaiah 36:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

Isaiah 28:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.

Isaiah 3:1-26 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For behold, the Lord God of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water; the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms. And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them. And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable. ...

Isaiah 1:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. ...

Proverbs 10:31 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

2 Chronicles 10:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs.

2 Kings 18:27 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?”

1 Kings 22:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”

1 Kings 22:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

2 Samuel 24:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

2 Samuel 24:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

1 Samuel 15:35 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 15:29 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”

Numbers 23:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Exodus 32:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Exodus 20:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Genesis 10:1-32 ESV / 2 helpful votes

These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations. ...

Genesis 8:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.

Genesis 8:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes

At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made

Genesis 7:21-23 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

Genesis 6:17 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.

Genesis 6:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.

Genesis 6:6-7 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

56 Bible Verses about Inappropriate Language

Ephesians 4:29 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Colossians 3:8 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

James 3:1-18 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

John 14:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Peter 3:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Peter 3:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Peter 3:3-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Peter 3:1-18 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Titus 1:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 1:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Thessalonians 2:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 5:1-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 14:33 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 1:24-27 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 22:53 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 21:1-38 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Mark 13:1-37 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 24:1-51 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 16:18 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 15:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jonah 3:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Amos 7:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Joel 2:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ezekiel 23:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ezekiel 4:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 42:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 26:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 26:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 26:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 18:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 18:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 45:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 36:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 28:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 3:1-26 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Isaiah 1:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Proverbs 10:31 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Chronicles 10:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Kings 18:27 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Kings 22:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Kings 22:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 24:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 24:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Samuel 15:35 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Samuel 15:29 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Numbers 23:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Exodus 32:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Exodus 20:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 10:1-32 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 8:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 8:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 7:21-23 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 6:17 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 6:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 6:6-7 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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