Sirach 21:17-28: a reflection

17The utterance of the prudent man will be sought for in the congregation. They will ponder his words in their heart. 18As a house that is destroyed, so is wisdom to a fool. The knowledge of an unwise man is talk without sense. 19Instruction is as fetters on the feet of an unwise man, and as manacles on the right hand. 20A fool lifts up his voice with laughter, but a clever man smiles quietly. 21Instruction is to a prudent man as an ornament of gold, and as a bracelet upon his right arm. 22The foot of a fool rushes into a house, but a man of experience will be ashamed of entering. 23A foolish man peers into the door of a house, but a man who is instructed will stand outside. 24It is rude for someone to listen at a door, but a prudent person will be grieved with the disgrace. 25The lips of strangers will be grieved at these things, but the words of prudent men will be weighed in the balance. 26The heart of fools is in their mouth, but the mouth of wise men is their heart. 27When the ungodly curses an adversary, he curses his own soul. 28A whisperer defiles his own soul, and will be hated wherever he travels.

Among these contrasts between the wise and the foolish, one strikes at the heart of how we use our words: The heart of fools is in their mouth, but the mouth of wise men is in their heart. The fool's words come straight from an ungoverned heart, blurted out without thought; whatever is in him spills out at once. But the wise person's mouth is governed by the heart, by thought and reflection; the wise consider before they speak, letting thought govern their words rather than blurting whatever comes. The one blurts; the other weighs.

Notice the contrast: the fool blurts, the wise weigh their words. The fool's heart is in his mouth: whatever he feels or thinks comes out at once, unfiltered, ungoverned; he speaks without thought. But the wise person's mouth is in his heart: his words are governed by reflection, weighed and considered before they are spoken. The wise think before they speak, letting the heart and mind govern the mouth; the fool lets the mouth run ahead of thought. The difference is between speech governed by thought and speech that simply blurts whatever comes.

That contrast is worth taking to heart, for we can be quick to blurt whatever comes, rather than letting thought govern our speech. We can speak without thinking, blurting whatever we feel or think at the moment, letting our mouths run ahead of reflection, as the fool's heart is in his mouth; but the wise weigh their words, letting thought govern what they say. Do not blurt whatever comes to mind, letting your mouth run ahead of thought; think before you speak, letting reflection govern your words, as the wise person's mouth is in his heart. Let thought govern your speech rather than blurting whatever you feel at the moment; weigh your words before you speak them, as the wise do, rather than letting them run out unfiltered, as the fool's do. Govern your mouth by your heart and mind, thinking before you speak, rather than letting your heart spill out in ungoverned words, as this contrast between the wise who weigh their words and the fool who blurts them commends.

Lord, among these contrasts between the wise and the foolish, one strikes at the heart of how I use my words: the heart of fools is in their mouth, but the mouth of wise men is in their heart. The fool's words come straight from an ungoverned heart, blurted out without thought. But the wise person's mouth is governed by the heart, by thought and reflection; the wise consider before they speak. The one blurts; the other weighs. Show me the contrast: the fool blurts, the wise weigh their words. The fool's heart is in his mouth: whatever he feels or thinks comes out at once, unfiltered. But the wise person's mouth is in his heart: his words are weighed and considered before they are spoken. The wise think before they speak; the fool lets the mouth run ahead of thought. Take that to my heart, for I can be quick to blurt whatever comes, rather than letting thought govern my speech. I can speak without thinking, blurting whatever I feel at the moment, letting my mouth run ahead of reflection; but the wise weigh their words. Keep me from blurting whatever comes to mind, letting my mouth run ahead of thought; help me think before I speak, letting reflection govern my words, Lord, as the wise person's mouth is in his heart. Help me govern my mouth by my heart and mind, weighing my words before I speak them, rather than letting them run out unfiltered.