Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others.
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Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
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.
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For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn't stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
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.
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Indeed, we put bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.
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.
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Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
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!
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So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
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.
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And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.
7 We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures - wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish.
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For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind.
8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.
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But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
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.
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With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.
10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!
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Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening.
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Does a spring send forth from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
12 A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.
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Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
13 Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom.
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Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show his deeds done in gentleness of wisdom by his good life.
14 But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom.
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But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
15 Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic.
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This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.
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For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.
17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy.
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But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.
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Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.