| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall 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 things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, 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. |
| 3Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. | 3We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. |
| 4Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. | 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 boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! | 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. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it 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 kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. | 7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, |
| 8But no man can tame the tongue. 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. |
| 9With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in 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 proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, 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 send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? | 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? |
| 12Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both 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 wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done 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 envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and 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 does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. | 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. |
| 16For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. | 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, willing to yield, 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. |
| 18Now the fruit 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. 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. |
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