| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New Living Translation |
| 1Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur 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 perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. | 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 if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. | 3We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. |
| 4Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. | 4And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. |
| 5So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! | 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 very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, 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. |
| 7For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. | 7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, |
| 8But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. | 8but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. |
| 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; | 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. |
| 10from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to 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 fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? | 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? |
| 12Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce 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 among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness 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 you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie 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 is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. | 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. |
| 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. | 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 peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, 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 seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. | 18And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | 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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