James 3:1-12

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Control Your Tongue And You Will Control Your Life

3 Do not become^[a] many^[b] teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a greater judgment. ² For we all stumble many^[c] ways. If one does not stumble in speech, this one is a perfect man able to bridle^[d] also the whole body. ³ Now if we put bridles into the mouths of horses so-that they obey us, we also guide their whole body. ⁴ Behold also ships being so large and being driven by hard winds— they are guided by a very small rudder where the impulse of the one steering wants. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small body-part, and boastfully-declares great things. Behold how-small a fire kindles how-great a forest!

An Untamed Tongue Stains And Burns And Poisons Life

⁶ And the tongue is a fire! The^[e] tongue is made^[f] the world of ^[g] unrighteousness among our body-parts— the thing staining the whole body and setting-on-fire the course of our existence, and being set-on-fire by Gehenna^[h]. ⁷ For every nature^[i] of both wild-animals and birds, of both reptiles and sea-creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human nature. ⁸ But none of mankind is able to tame the tongue— a restless evil, full of death-bringing poison. ⁹ With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse the people having been made in accordance with the likeness of God; ¹⁰ a blessing and a curse come out of the same mouth.

Such Destruction Ought Not To Proceed From Us

My brothers, these things ought^[j] not to be so. ¹¹ The spring does not gush out of the same opening the sweet and the bitter, does it? ¹² A fig tree is not able, my brothers, to make olives, or a grapevine figs, is it? Neither is salty water able to make sweet water.