Proverbs 15:4

NETBible

Speech 1  that heals 2  is like 3  a life-giving tree, 4  but a perverse tongue 5  breaks the spirit.

NIV ©

The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

NASB ©

A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.

NLT ©

Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

MSG ©

Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.

BBE ©

A comforting tongue is a tree of life, but a twisted tongue is a crushing of the spirit.

NRSV ©

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

NKJV ©

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

KJV
A wholesome
<04832>
tongue
<03956>
[is] a tree
<06086>
of life
<02416>_:
but perverseness
<05558>
therein [is] a breach
<07667>
in the spirit
<07307>_.
{A wholesome...: Heb. The healing of the tongue}
NASB ©
A soothing
<4832>
tongue
<3956>
is a tree
<6086>
of life
<2425>
, But perversion
<5558>
in it crushes
<7667>
the spirit
<7307>
.
LXXM
iasiv
<2392> 
N-NSF
glwsshv
<1100> 
N-GSF
dendron
<1186> 
N-NSN
zwhv
<2222> 
N-GSF
o
<3588> 
T-NSM
de
<1161> 
PRT
sunthrwn
<4933> 
V-PAPNS
authn
<846> 
D-ASF
plhsyhsetai {V-FPI-3S} pneumatov
<4151> 
N-GSN
NET [draft] ITL
Speech that heals
<04832>
is like a life-giving
<02416>
tree
<06086>
, but a perverse
<05558>
tongue
<03956>
breaks
<07667>
the spirit
<07307>
.
HEBREW
xwrb
<07307>
rbs
<07667>
hb
<0>
Plow
<05558>
Myyx
<02416>
Ue
<06086>
Nwsl
<03956>
aprm (15:4)
<04832>
NETBible

Speech 1  that heals 2  is like 3  a life-giving tree, 4  but a perverse tongue 5  breaks the spirit.

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “a tongue.” The term “tongue” is a metonymy of cause for what is produced: speech.

2 tn Heb “a tongue of healing.” A healing tongue refers to speech that is therapeutic or soothing. It is a source of vitality.

3 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

4 tn Heb “tree of life.”

5 tn Heb “perversion in it.” The referent must be the tongue, so this has been supplied in the translation for clarity. A tongue that is twisted, perverse, or deceitful is a way of describing deceitful speech. Such words will crush the spirit (e.g., Isa 65:14).