25 Bible Verses About Flattery (NIV)

⁵ Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.

²⁴ A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit. ²⁵ Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. ²⁶ His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. ²⁷ If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him. ²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

²³ He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

²¹ I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man; ²² for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.

⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.

¹⁸ For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

¹ You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. ² We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. ³ For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. ⁴ On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. ⁵ You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness. ⁶ We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. ⁷ As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. ⁸ We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. ⁹ Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ¹² encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. ¹³ And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. ¹⁷ But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan stopped us. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

³ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue

¹ Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

⁶ Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

² Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

²⁴ keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.

⁵ If a man denounces his friends for reward, the eyes of his children will fail.

² For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

² Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. ³ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue ⁴ that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips -who is our master?"

³⁶ But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;

⁵ You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness.

¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

²⁶ Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

²¹ His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.

¹ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

³⁴ When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.

¹⁷ He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

¹ My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. ² Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. ³ Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴ Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your kinsman; ⁵ they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words. ⁶ At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. ⁷ I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment. ⁸ He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house ⁹ at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. ¹⁰ Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. ¹¹ (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home; ¹² now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) ¹³ She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: ¹⁴ "I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows. ¹⁵ So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! ¹⁶ I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. ¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. ¹⁸ Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love! ¹⁹ My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. ²⁰ He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon." ²¹ With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. ²² All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose ²³ till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. ²⁴ Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. ²⁵ Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. ²⁶ Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. ²⁷ Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.