Proverbs 26:20 has rung true since the days of Solomon, the man who wrote it under the inspiration of God. As a matter of fact, it has rung true since the days of Adam and Eve. It says:

Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. (New King James Version)

The New Living Translation puts the verse in even simpler terms:

“Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.”

We’ve all done it, allowed ourselves to at least temporarily become gossips and talebearers. One fairly reliable way to tell that you are about to gossip is if you lower your voice when speaking. When you catch yourself doing that, be careful, you might be about to cross a line into territory the Bible condemns.

Where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. And quarrels disappear when gossip stops. Do you want to be a peacemaker? Then stop spreading tales about others. After all, our world is incendiary enough without you adding more wood to fires that are already burning.