James 3:5-12

5So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest.

6And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind,

8but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness.

10Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.

11Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?

12Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.