A. The dangers of speaking too much:

PRO 10:19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

PRO 14:23. In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

B. The wisdom of being slow to speak:

JAM 1:19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

PRO 18:13. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

ECC 5:2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

ECC 5:6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

JOH 8:1. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

JOH 8:2. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

JOH 8:3. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

JOH 8:4. They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

JOH 8:5. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

JOH 8:6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

JOH 8:7. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

JOH 8:8. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

JOH 8:9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

C. It is usually wise to speak little:

PRO 17:27. He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

ECC 5:3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

MAT 5:37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

D. It is often wise not to speak at all:

JOB 13:5. O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

PRO 10:19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

PRO 11:12. He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

PRO 17:28. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

PRO 21:23. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

E. Watch your words:

PSA 39:1. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

PSA 141:3. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

PRO 13:3. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

MAT 12:36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

F. Keeping secrets:

PRO 11:13. A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

PRO 25:9. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:

MIC 7:5. Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

JDG 14:15. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

JDG 14:16. And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?

JDG 14:17. And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

JDG 16:4. And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

JDG 16:5. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

JDG 16:6. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

JDG 16:15. And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

JDG 16:16. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

JDG 16:17. That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

JDG 16:18. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

JDG 16:19. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

JDG 16:20. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

JDG 16:21. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

MAT 9:30. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

MAT 12:14. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

MAT 12:15. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

MAT 12:16. And charged them that they should not make him known:

MAR 1:43. And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

MAR 1:44. And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

MAR 1:45. But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

MAT 8:4. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

MAR 9:9. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

MAR 9:10. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

MAT 17:9. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

LUK 9:36. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

LUK 8:56. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

MAR 5:43. And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

LUK 9:20. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

LUK 9:21. And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

MAT 16:20. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

ACT 23:22. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.

JOS 2:14. And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

JOS 2:20. And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

G. Learning how to be quiet:

JOB 6:24. Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

1TH 4:11. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

H. The foolish simply cannot keep their mouth shut:

PRO 15:2. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

PRO 20:3. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.