雅各书 3
制伏舌头
1 我的弟兄们，不要许多人做教师，因为你们知道，我们做教师的要接受更严厉的审判。 2 原来我们在许多事上都有过失；若有人在言语上没有过失，他就是完全的人，也能勒住自己的全身。 3 我们若把嚼环放在马嘴里使它们驯服，就能控制它们的全身。 4 再看船只，虽然甚大，又被强风猛吹，只用小小的舵就随着掌舵的意思转动。 5 同样，舌头是小肢体，却能说大话。 看哪，最小的火能点燃最大的树林。
6 舌头就是火。在我们百体中，舌头是个不义的世界，能玷污全身，也能烧毁生命的轮子，而且是被地狱的火点燃的。 7 各类的走兽、飞禽、爬虫、水族，本来都可以制伏，也已经被人制伏了； 8 惟独舌头没有人能制伏，是永不静止的邪恶，充满了害死人的毒气。 9 我们用舌头颂赞我们的主—我们的天父，又用舌头诅咒照着上帝形像被造的人。 10 颂赞和诅咒从同一个口出来。我的弟兄们，这是不应该的。 11 泉源能从一个出口发出甜苦两样的水吗？ 12 我的弟兄们，无花果树能生橄榄吗？葡萄树能结无花果吗？咸水也不能流出甜水来。
从上头来的智慧
13 你们中间谁是有智慧有见识的呢？他就当在智慧的温柔上显出他的善行来。 14 你们心里若怀着恶毒的嫉妒和自私，就不可自夸，不可说谎话抵挡真理。 15 这样的智慧不是从上头下来的，而是属地上的，属情欲的，属鬼魔的。 16 在何处有嫉妒、自私，在何处就有动乱和各样的坏事。 17 惟独从上头来的智慧，先是清洁，后是和平、温良、柔顺，满有怜悯和美善的果子，没有偏私，没有虚伪。 18 正义的果实是为促进和平的人用和平栽种出来的。
JAMES 3
The Tongue
1 My friends, we should not all try to become teachers. In fact, teachers will be judged more strictly than others.
2 t All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body.
3 By putting a bit into the mouth of a horse, we can turn the horse in different directions. 4 It takes strong winds to move a large sailing ship, but the captain uses only a small rudder to make it go in any direction.
5 Our tongues are small too, and yet they brag about big things.
It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! 6 t The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person's entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and have been tamed.
8 But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison.
9-10 t My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn't right. 11 Can clean water and dirty water both flow from the same spring?
12 Can a fig tree produce olives or a grapevine produce figs? Does fresh water come from a well full of salt water?Wisdom from Above
13 t Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do. 14 But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don't brag or lie to cover up the truth. 15 This kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It is earthly and selfish and comes from the devil himself. 16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.