1 M any teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive,

My Christian brothers, not many of you should become teachers. If we do wrong, it will be held against us more than other people who are not teachers.

2 f or we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;

We all make many mistakes. If anyone does not make a mistake with his tongue by saying the wrong things, he is a perfect man. It shows he is able to make his body do what he wants it to do.

3 l o, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying us, and their whole body we turn about;

We make a horse go wherever we want it to go by a small bit in its mouth. We turn its whole body by this.

4 l o, also the ships, being so great, and by fierce winds being driven, are led about by a very small helm, whithersoever the impulse of the helmsman doth counsel,

Sailing ships are driven by strong winds. But a small rudder turns a large ship whatever way the man at the wheel wants the ship to go.

5 s o also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle!

The tongue is also a small part of the body, but it can speak big things. See how a very small fire can set many trees on fire.

6 a nd the tongue a fire, the world of the unrighteousness, so the tongue is set in our members, which is spotting our whole body, and is setting on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the gehenna.

The tongue is a fire. It is full of wrong. It poisons the whole body. The tongue sets our whole lives on fire with a fire that comes from hell.

7 F or every nature, both of beasts and of fowls, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the human nature,

Men can make all kinds of animals and birds and fish and snakes do what they want them to do.

8 a nd the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,

But no man can make his tongue say what he wants it to say. It is sinful and does not rest. It is full of poison that kills.

9 w ith it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God;

With our tongue we give thanks to our Father in heaven. And with our tongue we speak bad words against men who are made like God.

10 o ut of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;

Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!

11 d oth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter?

Does a well of water give good water and bad water from the same place?

12 i s a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water to make.

Can a fig tree give olives or can a grape-vine give figs? A well does not give both good water and bad water. Wisdom from Above

13 W ho wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom,

Who among you is wise and understands? Let that one show from a good life by the things he does that he is wise and gentle.

14 a nd if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth;

If you have jealousy in your heart and fight to have many things, do not be proud of it. Do not lie against the truth.

15 t his wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like,

This is not the kind of wisdom that comes from God. But this wisdom comes from the world and from that which is not Christian and from the devil.

16 f or where zeal and rivalry, there is insurrection and every evil matter;

Wherever you find jealousy and fighting, there will be trouble and every other kind of wrong-doing.

17 a nd the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: --

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. Then it gives peace. It is gentle and willing to obey. It is full of loving-kindness and of doing good. It has no doubts and does not pretend to be something it is not.

18 a nd the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace.

Those who plant seeds of peace will gather what is right and good.