3
“The Tongue, Too, Is Itself a Spark”
1 Very+ few of you, my brothers,+ should become \it teachers,
+ knowing as you do
+ that it is
+ by a stricter standard that we who teach will be judged.
+
2 Many, after all,+ are the ways in which all of us falter.+ Still,+ if someone can stay steady+ in this+ area—his speech—he is a blameless man, able to keep a tight rein+ not only on his tongue, but on the rest of his body, too.+
3 Now if, in the case of a horse, the bit we place in its mouth,+ in order to make it obey us, we can direct, too,+ the rest of its body.
4 Or think of ships: Although+ they are so+ large, and thus need+ very+ strong winds to drive them along,+ they are directed by a rudder so+ small, wherever the person steering the ship decides.
5 So it is, too, with the tongue. Even though it is such+ a small part of the body, it makes such+ huge boasts. Consider how even+ the very tiniest of sparks can set the very+ largest of forests ablaze!+
6 The tongue, too, is itself+ a spark. The tongue presents itself+ among the parts of the body as the very+ symbol+ of evil—this little part+ which stains and defiles the whole+ person+ and sets fire to the entire course of one’s life,+ and which is itself set on fire by the flames+ of Gehenna.
7 All kinds of animals and birds, reptiles and sea creatures, can and have in fact been tamed by mankind.
8 The tongue, however, can be tamed by+ no member of the human race.+ It is wild+ and evil, and full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless and praise our Lord and Father, and with it we call down curses on our fellow human beings,+ who are made in the very+ image of God.
10 Praises and curses erupt from the very+ same mouth! How wrong this is, my brothers and sisters! It should never happen.+
11 Does a spring send forth+ fresh+ water and bitter water from the same opening+? No!+
12 Can a fig tree produce olives,+ my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine figs? Of course not!+ Neither can a salt spring produce water that is fresh.+
“That Kind of Wisdom Doesn’t Come Down from Above”
13 Is there anyone among you who considers himself wise and knowledgeable?+ Let him prove it by conducting himself in a way that is honorable,+ by deeds done in the humble and peaceable+ way characteristic of true+ wisdom.
14 If, however, you are harboring in your hearts bitter envy and selfish ambition,+ then stop+ singing your own praises in defiance of the truth.+
15 That kind of “wisdom” doesn’t come down from above,+ but is merely human,+ void of the Spirit,+ demonic.
16 Wherever there is envy and selfish ambition, you see, there one also finds+ disorder and every kind of evil+ practice.
17 The wisdom from above,+ however, to begin with, is pure,+ then peaceable, gracious, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere.
18 A harvest of righteousness, moreover, is the result when peacemakers sow seeds of peace.+