Put a bridle on thy tongue set a guard before thy lips, lest the words of thine own mouth destroy thy peace... on much speaking cometh repentance, but in silence is safety.

The saying urges disciplined speech: words, once released, can provoke conflict, regret, and inner disturbance, while restraint preserves “peace.” The imagery of a “bridle” and a “guard” frames the tongue as something needing active control, like a powerful animal or a city gate. The closing antithesis—many words leading to repentance versus silence bringing safety—echoes traditional wisdom literature that treats speech as morally consequential and socially risky. Read as practical ethics, it recommends pausing before speaking, especially in anger or vanity, because self-mastery in language is a form of self-mastery in life.