King James Version

Proverbs 15:4

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

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Hebrew

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מַרְפֵּ֣אmarpecureמַרְפֵּאnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “cure”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4832properly, curative, i.e. literally (concretely) a medicine, or (abstractly) a cure; figuratively (concretely) deliverance, or (abstractly) placidity(in-)cure(-able), healing(-lth), remedy, sound, wholesome, yielding.לָ֭שׁוֹןlashontongueלָשׁוֹןnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “tongue”, the ordinary formH3956the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)[phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.עֵ֣ץetstreeעֵץnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “tree”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.חַיִּ֑יםchayimlifeחַיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.וְסֶ֥לֶףveselefand perversenessסֶלֶףconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and perverseness”, the ordinary formH5558distortion, i.e. (figuratively) viciousnessperverseness.בָּ֝֗הּbahinבָּ֝֗הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”inשֶׁ֣בֶרsheverafflictionשֶׁבֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “affliction”, the ordinary formH7667a fracture, figuratively, ruin; specifically, a solution (of a dream)affliction, breach, breaking, broken(-footed, -handed), bruise, crashing, destruction, hurt, interpretation, vexation.בְּרֽוּחַberuchain angerרוּחַpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “in anger”, the ordinary formH7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

A soothing tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness therein is a wound to the spirit.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

A gentle tongue is a tree of life; But perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit.

Young’s Literal Translation

A healed tongue [is] a tree of life, And perverseness in it — a breach in the spirit.

World English Bible

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit.

Darby Translation

Gentleness of tongue is a tree of life; but crookedness therein is a breaking of the spirit.

Douay-Rheims

A peaceable tongue is a tree of life: but that which is immoderate, shall crush the spirit.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

A soothing tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness therein is a wound to the spirit.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The wholesome tongue is a tree of life, and he that keeps it shall be filled with understanding.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἴασις γλώσσης δένδρον ζωῆς, ὁ δὲ συντηρῶν αὐτὴν πλησθήσεται πνεύματος.