King James Version

Proverbs 13:3

He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

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Hebrew

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נֹצֵ֣רnotserbesiegedנָצַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “besieged”, a verb used as a describing wordH5341to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)besieged, hidden thing, keep(-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve(-r), subtil, watcher(-man).פִּ֭יוpivedgeפֶּהnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6310the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according toaccord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] s…שֹׁמֵ֣רshomerbewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “beward”, a verb used as a describing wordH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).נַפְשׁ֑וֹnafshvocreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…פֹּשֵׂ֥קposeqopenפָּשַׂקverb, qal, participle, absolute — “open”, a verb used as a describing wordH6589to dispart (the feet or lips), i.e. become licentiousopen (wide).שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יוsefatayvlanguageשָׂפָהnoun, common, feminine, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “language”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8193the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.מְחִתָּהmechitahruinמְחִתָּהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “ruin”, the ordinary formH4288properly, a dissolution; concretely, a ruin, or (abstractly) consternationdestruction, dismaying, ruin, terror.לֽוֹlvotoלֽוֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life; but for him that openeth wide his lips there shall be ruin.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life; But he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Young’s Literal Translation

Whoso is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, Whoso is opening wide his lips — ruin to him!

World English Bible

He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Darby Translation

He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his soul; destruction shall be to him that openeth wide his lips.

Douay-Rheims

He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul: but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life; but for him that openeth wide his lips there shall be ruin.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

He that keeps his own mouth keeps his own life: but he that is hasty with his lips shall bring terror upon himself.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὃς φυλάσσει τὸ ἑαυτοῦ στόμα τηρεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, ὁ δὲ προπετὴς χείλεσι πτοήσει ἑαυτόν.