³Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will face stricter judgment.^* ²For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is mature,ⁱ able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.^* ³If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. ⁴Or look at ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!^* ⁶And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.^j^* ⁷For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸but no one can tame the tongue—a restless^k evil, full of deadly poison.^* ⁹With it we bless the Lord^l and Father, and with it we curse people, made in the likeness of God.^* ¹⁰From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³Who is wise and knowledgeable among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.^* ¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and lie about the truth. ¹⁵This is not wisdom that comes down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.^* ¹⁶For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.^* ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.^* ¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness^m is sown in peace by those who make peace.^*

Read in Logos

Footnotes

iGk a mature man
jGk Gehenna
kOther ancient authorities read uncontrollable
lOther ancient authorities read God
mOr justice

Cross references

*Mt 23:8; Lk 6:37
*1 Kings 8:46; Mt 12:37; Jas 1:26; 1 Pet 3:10
*Ps 12:3; Prov 12:18
*Prov 16:27; Mt 15:11, 18, 19
*Ps 140:3; Rom 3:13
*Gen 1:26
*Gal 6:4; Jas 2:18
*1 Tim 4:1; Jas 1:17
*Gal 5:20
*Rom 12:9; 1 Cor 2:6; 1 Pet 1:22
*Prov 11:18; Isa 32:17