10:31

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

31a
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,

31b but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

10:31a–b

The mouth of the righteous…a perverse tongue: The words mouth and tongue are both figures of speech. They represent a person who speaks in a certain way.

10:31a

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom: This line means that a righteous person says wise things/words. In some languages, “wise” is used to describe only people, not words. In such languages, it may be possible to express the meaning by saying:

A righteous person makes known his wisdom in what he says
-or-
When a righteous person speaks, he expresses his wisdom

10:31b

but a perverse tongue will be cut out: The phrase a perverse tongue refers to a liar who twists the truth in order to deceive others. Also see the note on “perverse” in 2:12b.

The statement that a perverse tongue will be cut out or “cut off” (New Jerusalem Bible) should not be understood literally. It is an example of hyperbole. It means that the perverse person will be stopped from saying what is false or misleading. The meaning may be expressed without using a figure of speech. For example:

but deceitful liars will be silenced (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages, it may not be natural to use a passive verb. Another way to translate this clause is to use an active verb and supply “the LORD” as the subject. For example:

but ⌊the LORD⌋ will cause wicked people who deceive others to be quiet

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