| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. | 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. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle 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. |
| 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies 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 large and are driven by strong 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 also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze 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, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and 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 kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, | 7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, |
| 8but no human being 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. |
| 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are 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 blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. | 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 forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? | 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? |
| 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond 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 understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the 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 you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to 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 is not the wisdom that comes down 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 jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. | 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, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. | 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 a harvest of 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. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | 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. |
|
