Avoid the gossip, because anything you tell him will eventually be repeated elsewhere.
Proverbs 20:19 warns plainly about a particular kind of friend: He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip. The instruction is direct and gives no clever workaround.
The slanderer who goes about has a habit that becomes other people's exposure. He spreads what was given to him in confidence. Anything you tell him will eventually be told elsewhere.
So do not associate with a gossip. Wisdom recognizes that some companions cost more than the friendship is worth, and the gossip is one of them. The verse is also a quiet warning to the reader. If you are inclined to be that man, the wise are already withdrawing from you, whether or not you have noticed.
Proverbs 20:19
19 He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
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Proverbs 20:19 meaning
Proverbs 20:19 warns plainly about a particular kind of friend: He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip. The instruction is direct and gives no clever workaround.
The slanderer who goes about has a habit that becomes other people's exposure. He spreads what was given to him in confidence. Anything you tell him will eventually be told elsewhere.
So do not associate with a gossip. Wisdom recognizes that some companions cost more than the friendship is worth, and the gossip is one of them. The verse is also a quiet warning to the reader. If you are inclined to be that man, the wise are already withdrawing from you, whether or not you have noticed.