阅读经文 

当我们惊讶地发现某人发现了一个秘密时，我们可能会听到他们说：“一只小鸟告诉我的。”有时候，这是用一种轻松愉快的方式来表明我们知道一些特别的事情正在发生，但这句话也可能会成为推卸责任的借口，因为这个秘密没有被守住。

因此，在这篇《传道书》智慧专栏中，我们应该留意到这样的告诫：不要与人分享不属于你的东西。这段经文的作者很有智慧，他知道，本应该谨慎谈论的事情会因为喜欢八卦的人而增添麻烦，也会给那些私人信息未受尊重的人带来焦虑。一想到分享私人信息或隐秘的想法可能会损害一个人的声誉或人际关系，这会令人焦虑担心。相反，对他人的秘密保持沉默可能要好得多。

《雅各书》第三章提到，舌头可以像火星一样点燃森林大火。哪怕是一点点八卦也会造成很大的伤害。耶稣教导说，每个人都要为自己说过的话负责。（参太 12:36）

让我们小心谨慎，用智慧和诚实说话，在我们所说的一切话中尊重神和我们的邻舍。“人若爱生命，愿享美福，须要禁止舌头、不出恶言，嘴唇不说诡诈的话”。（参彼前 3:10）

When we are surprised that someone knows a secret, we might hear them say, "A little birdie told me." Sometimes that can be a pleasant way to share that we know something special is afoot, but that phrase can also be a way to shift responsibility for a secret that hasn't been fairly kept.

So it is good to observe the caution in this column of wisdom from Ecclesiastes: Don't share what's not yours to share. The wise author of this passage knew that talking about things that should be kept discreet can lead to trouble for a person who likes to gossip—and to anxiety for the person whose private information isn't respected. It can be nerve-wracking to consider how the sharing of private details or secret thoughts might damage one's reputation or relationships. Instead, it can be far better not to repeat a person's secrets at all.

James 3 notes that the tongue can be like a spark that sets off a forest fire. Even just a little gossip can do a lot of damage. And Jesus taught that everyone will need to give account for every careless word they have spoken .(see Matthew 12:36)

Let's be careful to speak wisely and faithfully, honoring God and our neighbor in all that we say. "…Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech". (1 Peter 3:10)