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A Prayer for Help against Sinning

²⁷ Who will set a guard over my mouth,
   and an effective seal upon my lips,
so that I may not fall because of them,
   and my tongue may not destroy me?

23O Lord, Father and Master of my life,
   do not abandon me to their designs,
   and do not let me fall because of them!
² Who will set whips over my thoughts,
   and the discipline of wisdom over my mind,
so as not to spare me in my errors,
   and not overlook my^* sins?
³ Otherwise my mistakes may be multiplied,
   and my sins may abound,
and I may fall before my adversaries,
   and my enemy may rejoice over me.^*
4 O Lord, Father and God of my life,
   do not give me haughty eyes,
⁵   and remove evil desire from me.
⁶ Let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me,
   and do not give me over to shameless passion.

Discipline of the Tongue ^*

⁷ Listen, my children, to instruction concerning the mouth;
   one who observes it will never be caught.
⁸ Sinners are overtaken through their lips;
   by them the reviler and the arrogant are tripped up.
⁹ Do not accustom your mouth to oaths,
   nor habitually utter the name of the Holy One;
¹⁰ for as a servant who is constantly under scrutiny
   will not lack bruises,
so also the person who always swears and utters the Name
   will never be cleansed^* from sin.
¹¹ One who swears many oaths is full of iniquity,
   and the scourge will not leave his house.
If he swears in error, his sin remains on him,
   and if he disregards it, he sins doubly;
if he swears a false oath, he will not be justified,
   for his house will be filled with calamities.