American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but {Or, let yours be the yea, yea, and the nay, nay Compare Matthew 5:37.}let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.
If any man {Or, seemeth to be}thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain.
Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive {Greek: greater.}heavier judgment.
For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.
Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth.
So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, {Or, how great a forest}how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
And the tongue is {Or, a fire, that world of iniquity: the tongue is among our members that which &c.}a fire: the {Or, that world of iniquity: the tongue, is among our members that which &c.}world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of {Or, birth}nature, and is set on fire by {Greek: Gehenna.}hell.
For every {Greek: nature.}kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed {Or, unto}by {Greek: the human nature.}mankind:
but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.
Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God:
out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released:
for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.