Chapter text
World English Bible
Verse-by-verse text with stable anchors, canonical chapter URLs, and copyable verse links.
- 1 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
- 2 For we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn’t stumble in word is a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also.
- 3 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.
- 4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
- 5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
- 6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.
- 7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and sea creature is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind;
- 8 but nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
- 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God.
- 10 Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
- 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
- 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
- 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
- 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.
- 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
- 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
- 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.