Proverbs 24:28-29. "Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause .... Do not say, 'I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.'"

There are times when we have something on someone - when we see them sin, when we have dirt on them. The temptation to reveal their wrongdoing is often great in those times. "You know they are bad, you must warn others," the devil whispers in my ear. But no, unless I have cause (and often we eventually do get cause, especially if the person does not repent), I am not to reveal their sins.

The proverb tells us don't be a witness without cause. Don't use others' wrong-doing as a way to hurt them or pay them back for perceived wrongs against yourself or others.

When we play gotcha, we hurt the person for a time, but it increases their anger and proclivity towards sin, and it also usually comes back on us eventually - because who among us has not sinned? Do we really think that no one knows about our sins? Acting as the proverb recommends brings societal peace and allows people to turn to God for forgiveness, which is the place we all must turn. Acting contrary to this just leads to a downward spiral of acrimony, unrest, and pain.