² For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, ³ and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” ^(A)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” ⁴ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become ^(B)judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers, ^(C)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be ^(D)rich in faith and heirs of ^(E)the kingdom, ^(F)which he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you ^(G)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who ^(H)drag you ^(I)into court? ⁷ Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable ^(J)name by which you were called?

⁸ If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ^(K)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹ But if you ^(L)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point ^(M)has become guilty of all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, ^(N)“Do not commit adultery,” also said, ^(O)“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ¹² So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under ^(P)the law of liberty. ¹³ For ^(Q)judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^(A)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(B)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(C)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,^[a] and set on fire by hell.^{[b] 7} For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^(D)full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^(E)who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,^[c] these things ought not to be so.