| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment, | 1Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. |
| 2for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body. | 2Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. |
| 3Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. | 3We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. |
| 4And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. | 4And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. |
| 5So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. | 5In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. |
| 6And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell. | 6And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. |
| 7Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, | 7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, |
| 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. | 8but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. |
| 9We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God's likeness with it. | 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. |
| 10Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way. | 10And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! |
| 11Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? | 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? |
| 12Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water. | 12Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring. True Wisdom Comes from God |
| 13Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom's gentleness. | 13If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. |
| 14But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't brag and deny the truth. | 14But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. |
| 15Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. | 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. |
| 16For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. | 16For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. |
| 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. | 17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. |
| 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. | 18And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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