Proverbs 15:1
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
What this verse means
‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger’—our words can calm or inflame conflict.
Read the full meaningCompare translations
BSBPD
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)KJVPD
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”
King James Version · Public DomainASVPD
“A soft answer turneth away wrath; But a grievous word stirreth up anger.”
American Standard Version · Public DomainYLTPD
“A soft answer turneth back fury, And a grievous word raiseth up anger.”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainCross references
Other passages that echo Proverbs 15:1 — 18 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Judges 8:1Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently.
- Judges 8:3God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.
- Judges 12:3When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?”
- 1 Samuel 25:10But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
- 1 Samuel 25:21Now David had just finished saying, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good.
- 2 Samuel 19:43“We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.
- 1 Kings 12:7They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
- 1 Kings 12:13And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders
- 1 Kings 12:16When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,
- 2 Chronicles 10:7They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
- Job 41:3Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
- Proverbs 10:12Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- Proverbs 15:18A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.
- Proverbs 25:15Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
- Proverbs 28:25A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
- Proverbs 29:8Mockers inflame a city, but the wise turn away anger.
- Proverbs 29:22An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
- Acts 19:41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).
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