³⁷ But make sure your statement is, ‘^[a]Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is ^[b]of ^(A)evil origin.

²⁶ If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not ^[a](A)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

³⁶ But I tell you that for every ^[a]careless word that people ^[b]speak, they will give an account of it on the ^(A)day of judgment. ³⁷ For ^[c]by your words you will be justified, and ^[d]by your words you will be condemned.”

² For we all ^(A)stumble in many ways. ^(B)If anyone does not stumble in ^[a]what he says, he is a ^(C)perfect man, able to ^[b](D)rein in the whole body as well.

⁵ So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^(A)boasts of great things.

^(B)See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(C)the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among ^[a]our body’s parts as that which ^(D)defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our ^[b]life, and is set on fire by ^[c](E)hell. ⁷ For every ^[d]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human ^[e]race. ⁸ But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of ^(F)deadly poison.