100 Bible Verses On Talking Bad About Someone

Speaking badly about others is a serious matter in Scripture. The Bible warns us repeatedly about the danger of our words. Gossip, slander, and harmful speech damage relationships and dishonor God. 

Our tongues have the power to build up or tear down. God calls us to use our words wisely and with love. These 100 Bible verses will guide you toward speech that reflects Christ’s character.

100 Bible Verses On Talking Badly About Someone

1. Ephesians 4:29
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

2. Proverbs 16:28
“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and gossip separates close friends.”

3. James 4:11
“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it.”

4. Proverbs 11:13
“Gossip betrays confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”

5. Psalm 101:5
“Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.”

6. James 1:26
“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

7. Matthew 12:36
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”

8. Colossians 3:8
“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

9. Titus 3:2
“To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”

10. Proverbs 20:19
“Gossip betrays confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”

11. Psalm 34:13
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.”

12. Proverbs 26:20
“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”

13. Leviticus 19:16
“Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”

14. 1 Peter 3:10
“For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”

15. Proverbs 10:18
“Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.”

16. Romans 1:29-30
“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful.”

17. James 3:5-6
“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.”

18. Proverbs 21:23
“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”

19. Psalm 15:1-3
“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander.”

20. Ecclesiastes 10:12
“Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.”

Verses About the Power of Words

21. Proverbs 18:8
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.”

22. 2 Corinthians 12:20
“For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”

23. Matthew 15:18-19
“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

24. 1 Timothy 5:13
“Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”

25. Proverbs 6:16-19
“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

26. Luke 6:45
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

27. Galatians 5:14-15
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

28. Proverbs 12:18
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

29. Psalm 141:3
“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

30. Micah 6:8
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

31. Zechariah 8:16-17
“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this, declares the Lord.”

32. Proverbs 17:9
“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.”

33. Matthew 5:22
“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

34. Proverbs 15:4
“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

35. James 3:9-10
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

Verses About Guarding Your Speech

36. Proverbs 13:3
“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

37. Proverbs 17:27-28
“The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”

38. Proverbs 10:19
“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.”

39. Ecclesiastes 5:2
“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”

40. Proverbs 29:20
“Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”

41. James 1:19
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

42. Proverbs 15:28
“The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.”

43. Proverbs 25:23
“Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.”

44. Psalm 39:1
“I said, ‘I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.'”

45. Proverbs 4:24
“Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.”

46. 1 Peter 2:1
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

47. Ephesians 4:31
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

48. Proverbs 26:22
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.”

49. Psalm 52:2-4
“You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!”

50. Proverbs 18:21
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Verses About Speaking Truth and Building Up

51. Ephesians 4:25
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

52. Colossians 4:6
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

53. Proverbs 16:24
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

54. Proverbs 12:25
“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”

55. Proverbs 15:1
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

56. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

57. Proverbs 25:11
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.”

58. Hebrews 10:24
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

59. Romans 14:19
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

60. Proverbs 31:26
“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”

61. 1 Peter 4:11
“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

62. Proverbs 10:11
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

63. Psalm 19:14
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

64. Proverbs 15:23
“A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!”

65. Matthew 12:34-35
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”

Verses About Judgment and Accountability

66. Romans 14:10-12
“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

67. Matthew 7:1-2
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

68. Luke 6:37
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

69. James 3:1
“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

70. 1 Corinthians 4:5
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.”

71. Romans 2:1
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

72. Matthew 7:3-5
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”

73. John 7:24
“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

74. Galatians 6:1
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

75. Proverbs 11:12
“Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.”

Verses About Love and Unity

76. 1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

77. Romans 12:10
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

78. Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

79. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

80. Ephesians 4:2-3
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

81. Romans 15:7
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

82. Colossians 3:13
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

83. 1 John 4:20
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

84. John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

85. Romans 13:10
“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Verses About Wisdom and Humility

86. Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

87. James 3:17
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

88. Proverbs 11:2
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

89. 1 Peter 5:5
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'”

90. Proverbs 18:13
“To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.”

91. Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

92. Proverbs 27:2
“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”

93. Proverbs 14:29
“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”

94. James 4:6
“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'”

95. Proverbs 22:11
“One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.”

Final Verses About Righteous Living

96. 1 Timothy 4:12
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

97. Psalm 37:30
“The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.”

98. Proverbs 8:6-8
“Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.”

99. Titus 2:7-8
“In everything, set them an example by doing what is good. Your teaching shows integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”

100. Psalm 145:21
“My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about gossip?

The Bible condemns gossip as sin and warns that it separates friends and destroys relationships.

Is talking badly about someone a sin?

Yes, speaking badly about others is sin because it harms people and dishonors God.

How can I stop gossiping?

Guard your tongue through prayer, think before you speak, and ask the Holy Spirit for self-control.

What should I do if I’ve slandered someone?

Repent to God, ask forgiveness from the person you hurt, and commit to changing your speech.

Can God forgive me for talking badly about others?

Yes, God forgives all sin when we confess and turn away from it with sincere repentance.

Conclusion

The Bible is clear that our words matter to God. Talking badly about others is not just a bad habit but a serious sin. These 100 verses show us that gossip, slander, and harmful speech damage relationships and grieve the Holy Spirit. 

God calls us to use our tongues for good, to speak truth in love, and to build others up. When we fail, His grace is available to forgive and transform us.Let these Scriptures guide your speech every day. 

Say This Prayer

Father, forgive me for speaking badly about others. Cleanse my heart from judgment and pride. Help me control my tongue and speak with kindness. Teach me to build people up with my words. Give me wisdom to know when to stay silent. 

Fill my mouth with grace and truth. Let my speech bring glory to Your name. Transform my heart so my words reflect Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.