A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
God's regard for the use of the tongue stands against evil-speaking, accusation, and fault-finding as contrary to love for one's neighbor. A lying tongue hates those who are afflicted by it, so that the liar's hostility harms the people at whom the lies are aimed. A flattering mouth works ruin, for flattery is itself a form of lying.
Unlike honest praise that encourages good work, flattery can manipulate a person through expressions of sympathy and through claims that he has been mistreated. When employed to win the esteem of others, it can hide enmity that is revealed only after its victims have been harmed, thus leading them to ruin.
God's regard for the use of the tongue stands against evil-speaking, accusation, and fault-finding as contrary to love for one's neighbor. A lying tongue hates those who are afflicted by it, so that the liar's hostility harms the people at whom the lies are aimed. A flattering mouth works ruin, for flattery is itself a form of lying.
Unlike honest praise that encourages good work, flattery can manipulate a person through expressions of sympathy and through claims that he has been mistreated. When employed to win the esteem of others, it can hide enmity that is revealed only after its victims have been harmed, thus leading them to ruin.