Jas. 3.1-12, Tongues

Translations
Jas. 3.1-12
Tongues
last revised: 2/08/01

New American Standard Bible	Revised Standard Version	New Living Translation	Today's English Version
3:1 Let^R97 not many {of you} become teachers, my^R98 brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter^F50 judgment. 3:2 For we all stumble^R99 in many {ways.} If^R100 anyone does not stumble in what^F51 he says, he is a perfect^R101 man, able to bridle^R102 the whole body as well. 3:3 Now if^R103 we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 3:4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 3:5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and {yet} it boasts^R104 of great things. See^R105 how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 3:6 And the^R106 tongue is a fire, the {very} world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles^R107 the entire body, and sets on fire the course of {our} life,^F52 and is set on fire by hell.^F53 R108 3:7 For every species^F54 of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.^F54 3:8 But no one can tame the tongue; {it is} a restless evil {and} full of deadly^R109 poison. 3:9 With it we bless {our}^R110 Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who^R111 have been made in the likeness of God; 3:10 from the same mouth come {both} blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 3:11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening {both} fresh^F55 and bitter {water?} 3:12 Can^R112 a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor {can} salt water produce fresh.^F56 FOOTNOTES: F50: Or {greater condemnation} F51: Lit {word} F52: Or {existence, origin} F53: Gr {Gehenna} F54: Lit {nature} F55: Lit {sweet} F56: V 11, note+@1 CROSS REFERENCES: R97: 1 Thessalonians 1:3 R98: Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3 R99: 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8 R100: Hebrews 11:31 R101: Joshua 2:4,6,15 R102: Galatians 5:6; James 2:17,20 R103: Matthew 23:8; Romans 2:20f; 1 Timothy 1:7 R104: James 1:16; 3:10 R105: James 2:10 R106: Matthew 12:34-37; James 3:2-12 R107: James 1:4 R108: James 1:26 R109: Psalms 32:9 R110: Psalms 12:3f; R111: Proverbs 26:20f R112: Psalms 120:2,3; Proverbs 16:27	3:1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. 3:2 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. 3:3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 3:4 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. 3:5So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 3:6 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, and set on fire by hell. 3:7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 3:8 but no human being can tame the tongue -- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. 3:11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.	3:1 Dear brothers and sisters,^F11 not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness. 3:2 We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. 3:3 We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 3:4 And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. 3:5 So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 3:6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 3:7 People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, 3:8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. 3::9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God. 3:10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 3:11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 3:12 Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from a grapevine? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty pool. FOOTNOTES: F11: Greek brothers; also in 3:10.	3:1 My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others. 3:2 All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being.^R12 3:3 We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. 3:4 Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. 3:5 So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! 3:6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself.^R13 3:7 We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures — wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 3:8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. 3:9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God.^R14 3:10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen! 3:11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. 3:12 A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water. CROSS REFERENCES: R12: +23.2 Si 5.9-15; 14.1; 28.13-26. R13: +23.6 Si 5.13; 28.22. R14: 3.9 Gn 1.26.