From “Legacy: Wisdom of African Traditions and the Bible” by Chris Morehouse; forward by Therese Taylor-Stinson
A cutting word is worse than a bowstring; a cut may heal, but the cut of the tongue does not.
-African
There is no venom such as that of the tongue.
-Makonde (Kenya and Tanzania)
A word uttered cannot be taken back.
-Zulu (South Africa)
If your mouth turns into a knife, it will cut off your lips.
-Zimbabwe
Quarrels end, but words once spoken never die.
-Sierra Leone
The tongue is not the sea, but it can drown you.
-Haiti
The tongue has no teeth, but its bite is true.
-Guyana
Compare to the following:
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise begins healing.
-Proverbs 12:18
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
-Colossians 3:8
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
-James 3:5