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Hay que domar la lengua

Hermanos míos, no pretendáis muchos de vosotros ser maestros, pues, como sabéis, seremos juzgados con más severidad. Todos fallamos mucho. Si alguien nunca falla en lo que dice, es una persona perfecta, capaz también de controlar todo su cuerpo.

Cuando ponemos freno en la boca de los caballos para que nos obedezcan, podemos controlar todo el animal. Fijaos también en los barcos. A pesar de ser tan grandes y de ser impulsados por fuertes vientos, se gobiernan por un pequeño timón a voluntad del piloto. Así también la lengua es un miembro muy pequeño del cuerpo, pero hace alarde de grandes hazañas. ¡Imaginaos qué gran bosque se incendia con tan pequeña chispa! También la lengua es un fuego, un mundo de maldad. Siendo uno de nuestros órganos, contamina todo el cuerpo y, encendida por el infierno,[a] prende a su vez fuego a todo el curso de la vida.

El ser humano sabe domar y, en efecto, ha domado toda clase de fieras, de aves, de reptiles y de bestias marinas; pero nadie puede domar la lengua. Es un mal irrefrenable, lleno de veneno mortal.

Con la lengua bendecimos a nuestro Señor y Padre, y con ella maldecimos a las personas, creadas a imagen de Dios. 10 De una misma boca salen bendición y maldición. Hermanos míos, esto no debe ser así. 11 ¿Puede acaso brotar de una misma fuente agua dulce y agua salada?[b] 12 Hermanos míos, ¿acaso puede dar aceitunas una higuera o higos una vid? Pues tampoco una fuente de agua salada puede dar agua dulce.

Dos clases de sabiduría

13 ¿Quién es sabio y entendido entre vosotros? Que lo demuestre con su buena conducta, mediante obras hechas con la humildad que le da su sabiduría. 14 Pero, si tenéis envidias amargas y rivalidades en el corazón, dejad de presumir y de faltar a la verdad. 15 Esa no es la sabiduría que desciende del cielo, sino que es terrenal, puramente humana y diabólica. 16 Porque donde hay envidias y rivalidades, también hay confusión y toda clase de acciones malvadas.

17 En cambio, la sabiduría que desciende del cielo es ante todo pura, y además pacífica, bondadosa, dócil, llena de compasión y de buenos frutos, imparcial y sincera. 18 En fin, el fruto de la justicia se siembra en paz para[c] los que hacen la paz.

Footnotes

  1. 3:6 el infierno. Lit. la Gehenna.
  2. 3:11 salada. Lit. amarga (véase también v. 12).
  3. 3:18 para. Alt. por.

Taming the Tongue

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!

And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature,[a] and set on fire by hell.[b] For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity. 18 And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Footnotes

  1. James 3:6 Or wheel of birth
  2. James 3:6 Greek Gehenna

My brothers, not many of you should be teachers. You know that we who teach will be punished more than other people.

We all do many wrong things. Any man who never says anything wrong is right in every way. He is able to make his whole body do what is right.

We put a piece of iron in the mouths of horses so they will obey us. Then we can make their whole bodies go where we want them to go.

Look at the big boats also. They are very big. The strong winds push them along. But a man uses a small piece of wood and makes the boat go where he wants it to go.

A person's tongue is like that. It is a small part of the body but it talks about big things. A very small fire can burn a big pile of wood!

The tongue is like a fire. It is like a whole world of trouble. It is a part of our body. And it makes our whole body bad. It burns up our whole life. And the fire that makes the tongue burn comes from hell.

People have been able to tame all kinds of animals, birds, snakes, and fish.

But no one can tame the tongue. It is a bad thing that will not be ruled. It is full of poison that can kill.

We praise our Lord and Father with our tongues. And we speak wrong words about people with our tongues, even though they were made like God.

10 Praising and wrong words come out of the same mouth! My brothers, this should not be so.

11 Do good water and bad water both come from the same place?

12 My brothers, do olives come from a fig tree? Or do figs come from a vine? No, they do not! Salt water and fresh water do not both come from the same place.

13 Who among you is wise and knows about things? He should show what he knows by his good life. He will not be proud because he is wise.

14 Are you a person who is very jealous? In your hearts you want to be better than others? Then stop being proud of yourself. Do not say what is not true.

15 God did not give you wisdom like that. But it comes from this world. It comes from people. It comes from bad spirits.

16 If people are jealous of others, their lives are not right. They do every kind of wrong thing to get what they want. They confuse and upset people.

17 First of all, when God makes people wise, they are holy. They do not fight. They are gentle. They listen to what other people say. They are very kind and do many good things. They do not quarrel. They do not say what is not true.

18 People who do not quarrel have peace. When there is peace, there is a good life.