James 3:1–12

The Tongue Is a Fire

^1aDo not, many of you, become teachers, ^bmy brothers, knowing that we will receive a ¹stricter judgment.

²For we all ^astumble in many ways. ^bIf anyone does not stumble in ¹what he says, he is a ^cperfect man, able to ^dbridle the entire body as well.

³Now ^aif we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.

⁴Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills.

⁵So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^aboasts of great things.

^bBehold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

⁶And ^athe tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which ^bdefiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our ¹existence, and is set on fire by ^2chell.

⁷For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.

⁸But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of ^adeadly poison.

⁹With it we bless ^aour Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, ^bwho have been made in the likeness of God.

¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

¹¹Does a fountain pour forth from the same opening ¹fresh and bitter water?

^12aCan a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can saltwater produce ¹fresh.