The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, since you know that we will be judged more severely.
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Do not all be teachers, my brothers, because we teachers will be judged more hardly than others.
2 For we all stumble in many ways; if someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who can bridle his whole body.
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For we all go wrong in a number of things. If a man never makes a slip in his talk, then he is a complete man and able to keep all his body in control.
3 If we put a bit into a horse's mouth to make it obey us, we control its whole body as well.
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Now if we put bits of iron into horses' mouths so that they may be guided by us, we have complete control of their bodies.
4 And think of a ship - although it is huge and is driven by strong winds, yet the pilot can steer it wherever he wants with just a small rudder.
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And again ships, though they are so great and are moved by violent winds, are turned by a very small guiding-blade, at the impulse of the man who is using it.
5 So too the tongue is a tiny part of the body, yet it boasts great things. See how a little fire sets a whole forest ablaze!
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Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire!
6 Yes, the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so placed in our body that it defiles every part of it, setting ablaze the whole of our life; and it is set on fire by Gei-Hinnom itself.
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And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell.
7 For people have tamed and continue to tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures;
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For every sort of beast and bird and every living thing on earth and in the sea has been controlled by man and is under his authority;
8 but the tongue no one can tame - it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison!
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But the tongue may not be controlled by man; it is an unresting evil, it is full of the poison of death.
9 With it we bless ADONAI, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God.g
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With it we give praise to our Lord and Father; and with it we put a curse on men who are made in God's image.
10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn't right for things to be this way.
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Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not right for these things to be so.
11 A spring doesn't send both fresh and bitter water from the same opening, does it?
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Does the fountain send from the same outlet sweet and bitter water?
12 Can a fig tree yield olives, my brothers? or a grapevine, figs? Neither does salt water produce fresh.
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Is a fig-tree able to give us olives, my brothers, or do we get figs from a vine, or sweet water from the salt sea?
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him demonstrate it by his good way of life, by actions done in the humility that grows out of wisdom.
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Who has wisdom and good sense among you? let him make his works clear by a life of gentle wisdom.
14 But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don't boast and attack the truth with lies!
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But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true.
15 This wisdom is not the kind that comes down from above; on the contrary, it is worldly, unspiritual, demonic.
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This wisdom is not from heaven, but is of the earth and the flesh and the Evil One.
16 For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disharmony and every foul practice.
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For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing.
17 But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
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But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is.
18 And peacemakers who sow seed in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
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And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace for those who make peace.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.