Proverbs 10:31
“The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.”
What does Proverbs 10:31 mean?
The righteous person's words bring something of real value into the world, like a tree that naturally bears good fruit. When someone's heart is oriented toward God and goodness, their speech tends to reflect that, offering wisdom and encouragement to those around them. The second part speaks to a harder truth: persistent perverseness, especially in how we use our words to harm or deceive, eventually leads to isolation and loss of influence. The "perverse tongue" doesn't last because people stop listening, trusting, or wanting to be near someone who twists words to hurt others. It's less about punishment from above and more about the natural consequences of a life spent tearing people down rather than building them up.