| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. | 1Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. |
| 2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the 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. |
| 3Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. | 3We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. |
| 4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. | 4And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. |
| 5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! | 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, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of 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. |
| 7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: | 7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, |
| 8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. | 8but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. |
| 9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. | 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. |
| 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. | 10And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! |
| 11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? | 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? |
| 12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. | 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 a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. | 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 ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against 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. |
| 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. | 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. |
| 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. | 16For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. |
| 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without 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 of them that make peace. | 18And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | 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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