James

3 Not many teachers become ye, my brethren, Knowing that a severer sentence shall ye receive;

2 For oft are we stumbling one and all: If anyone in word doth not stumble The same is a mature man, Able to curb even the whole body.

3 Now if the horses’ bits into their mouths we thrust to the end they may be yielding to us Their whole body also do we turn about.

4 Lo! the ships also large as they are and by rough winds driven along Are turned about by a very small helm Whithersoever the impulse of the steersman inclineth.

5 So also the tongue is a little member and yet of great things maketh boast. Lo! how small a fire kindleth how great a forest;

6 And the tongue is a fire,—[As] the world of unrighteousness the tongue becometh fixed among our members, That which defileth the whole body And setteth on fire the wheel of our natural life And is set on fire by gehenna!

7 For every nature—Both of wild beasts and of birds Both of reptiles and of things in the sea Is to be tamed and hath been tamed by the human nature;

8 But the tongue none of mankind can tame,—A restless mischief! Full of deadly poison!

9 Therewith are we blessing our Lord and Father, And therewith we are cursing the men who after the likeness of God have been brought into being!

10 Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing! Not meet my brethren for these things thus to be coming to pass!

11 Doth the fountain out of the same opening teem forth the sweet and the bitter?

12 Is it possible, my brethren, for a fig-tree to produce olives, or a vine figs? Neither can salt water yield sweet.

13 Who is wise and well-instructed-among you? Let him shew out of his comely behaviour his works, in meekness of wisdom.

14 But if bitter jealousy ye have and rivalry in your hearts Be not boasting and shewing yourselves false against the truth!

15 This wisdom is not one from above coming down, But is earthly, born of the soul, demoniacal!

16 For where jealousy and rivalry are There are anarchy and every ignoble deed.

17 But the wisdom from above is—First pure, then peaceable, reasonable, easy to be entreated, fraught with mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy.

18 And a harvest of righteousness with peace is sown by them that make peace.