(箴言 18:8)
“傳舌人的言語，如同美食，深入人的心腹。”
這裡談論的是是非，也就是那些喜歡傳閒話、說八卦的人。這些是非之言聽起來就像美食一樣吸引，大多數人都喜歡聽八卦或娛樂新聞，聽的時候會覺得很開心。
深入心腹在希伯來語境中，指的是進入一個人思想、情感與意志的核心。這意味著當我們聽了是非，若不去分辨而直接接收，這些訊息就會進入內心，成為我們深信不疑的事情。當有人跟你說某人的壞話，你可能就會認定那人是壞人，從此失去判斷力。這是一件非常危險的事，因為是非就像包裝過的毒藥，雖然好聽，卻會矇蔽我們分辨是非的能力。
所以我們必須小心，當有人對你說三道四時，就算內容再吸引、再想追問下去，也要警惕自己不要參與。否則這對被談論的人非常不公平，作為基督徒應當更加醒覺，不要人云亦云。上帝希望我們認識的是真理，而不是靠閒言閒語來定型一個人。
(Proverbs 18:8)
“The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”
What is being discussed here is gossip, referring to those who enjoy spreading rumors and engaging in small talk. These words of gossip sound as enticing as delicious food; most people enjoy listening to gossip or entertainment news and feel a sense of pleasure while doing so.
In the Hebrew context, going down into the innermost parts refers to entering the core of a person’s thoughts, emotions, and will. This means that when we hear gossip, if we receive it directly without discernment, these messages will enter our hearts and become things we believe without doubt. When someone speaks ill of another person to you, you might conclude that the individual is a bad person, thereby losing your power of judgment. This is a very dangerous matter because gossip is like packaged poison; although it sounds pleasant, it blinds our ability to distinguish right from wrong.
Therefore, we must be careful. When someone gossips to you, even if the content is attractive and makes you want to ask further, you must alert yourself not to participate. Otherwise, it is extremely unfair to the person being discussed. As Christians, we should be more alert and avoid blindly following what others say. God wants us to know the truth, rather than defining a person based on idle chatter.
