A-Z: Common sayings from the Bible: Honeyed words

Usage

Persuasive, possibly flattering, words.

Definition

Pleasant words can be true or false, deceiving or affirming. The prostitute's words lure the unwary, but pleasant words honestly spoken make for peace and harmony.

Bible References

Proverbs 5:3; Proverbs 16:24

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, ²that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. ³For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, ⁴but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. ⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; ⁶she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. ⁷And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. ⁸Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, ⁹lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, ¹⁰lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, ¹¹and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, ¹²and you say, How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! ¹³I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. ¹⁴I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation. ¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. ¹⁶Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? ¹⁷Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. ¹⁸Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, ¹⁹a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. ²⁰Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? ²¹For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths. ²²The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. ²³He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.

¹My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: ²That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. ³For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: ⁴But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. ⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. ⁶Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. ⁷Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. ⁸Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: ⁹Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: ¹⁰Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; ¹¹And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, ¹²And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; ¹³And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! ¹⁴I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. ¹⁵Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. ¹⁶Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. ¹⁷Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. ¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. ¹⁹Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. ²⁰And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? ²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. ²²His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. ²³He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. ²All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. ³Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. ⁴The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. ⁵Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. ⁶By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. ⁷When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. ⁸Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. ⁹The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. ¹⁰An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. ¹¹A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work. ¹²It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. ¹³Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. ¹⁴A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. ¹⁵In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. ¹⁶How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. ¹⁷The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. ¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. ¹⁹It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. ²⁰Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. ²¹The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. ²²Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. ²³The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. ²⁴Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. ²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. ²⁶A worker's appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on. ²⁷A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. ²⁸A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. ²⁹A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. ³⁰Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass. ³¹Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. ³²Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. ³³The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

¹The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. ²All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. ³Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. ⁴The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. ⁵Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. ⁶By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. ⁷When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. ⁸Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. ⁹A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. ¹⁰A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. ¹¹A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his work. ¹²It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. ¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right. ¹⁴The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it. ¹⁵In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. ¹⁶How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! ¹⁷The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. ¹⁸Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. ¹⁹Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. ²⁰He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. ²¹The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. ²²Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly. ²³The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. ²⁴Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. ²⁵There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. ²⁶He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him. ²⁷An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. ²⁸A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. ²⁹A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. ³⁰He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass. ³¹The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. ³²He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. ³³The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.