God says this to the evildoer: ¹  “How can you declare my commands, and talk about my covenant? ² 

So tell them: ‘This is a nation that has not obeyed the Lord their God and has not accepted correction. Faithfulness is nowhere to be found in it. These people do not even profess it anymore. ¹ 

Then ¹  they said, “Why do we need further testimony? We have heard it ourselves ²  from his own lips!” ³ 

But if her husband clearly nullifies ¹  them when he hears them, then whatever she says ²  by way of vows or obligations will not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will release her from them.

“As for the diseased person who has the infection, ¹  his clothes must be torn, the hair of his head must be unbound, he must cover his mustache, ²  and he must call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’

Because you rage against me and the uproar you create has reached my ears, ¹  I will put my hook in your nose, ²  and my bridle between your lips, and I will lead you back the way you came.”

Is there any falsehood ¹  on my lips? Can my mouth ²  not discern evil things? ³ 

He deprives the trusted advisers ¹  of speech ²  and takes away the discernment ³  of elders.

From the fruit of his speech ¹  a person eats good things, ²  but the faithless ³  desire ⁴  the fruit of violence. ⁵ 

The one who is wise in heart ¹  is called ²  discerning, and kind speech ³  increases persuasiveness. ⁴ 

For ¹  I will remove the names of the Baal idols ²  from your lips, ³  so that you will never again utter their names!” ⁴ 

You plant them like trees and they put down their roots. ¹  They grow prosperous and are very fruitful. ²  They always talk about you, but they really care nothing about you. ³ 

On that day I will make Israel powerful, ¹  and I will give you the right to be heard ²  among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

All ¹  were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They ²  said, “Isn’t this ³  Joseph’s son?”

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” ¹  (that is, the word of faith that we preach),

or when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly ¹  with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths ²  –

¹  It ²  will be a sign ³  for you on your hand and a memorial ⁴  on your forehead, ⁵  so that the law of the Lord may be ⁶  in your mouth, ⁷  for ⁸  with a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.

The whole earth ¹  had a common language and a common vocabulary. ² 

But they deceived him with their words, ¹  and lied to him. ² 

In all hard work ¹  there is profit, but merely talking about it ²  only brings ³  poverty. ⁴