James 3

Great^{(i) 1} My brethren, be not euery man a master, knowinge how that we shal receaue the greater damnacion: ² for in many thinges we synne all. If a man synne not in worde, the same is a perfecte man, & able also to tame all the body. ³ Beholde, we put bittes in to the horses mouthes, that they maye obeye vs, & we turne aboute all the body of them. ⁴ Beholde also the shyppes, whych though they be so great, & are dryuen of fearce wyndes, yet are they turned about wyth a very small helme whyther soeuer the violence of the gouerner will. ⁵ Euen so the tonge is a lytel member also, and boasteth great thynges. Beholde, how gret a thynge a lytell fyre kyndleth, ⁶ and the tonge is fyre, euen a world of wyckednes. So is the tonge set amonge oure membres, that it defyleth the whole body, and setteth a fyre all that we haue of nature, and is it selfe set a fyre euen of hell. ⁷ All the natures of beastes, and of byrdes, and of serpentes, & thinges of the see are meked and tamed of the nature of man. ⁸ But the tonge can no man tame. It is an vnruely euyll, full of deedly poyson. ⁹ Ther wt blesse we God the father, and therwith cursse wemen, which are made after the symilitude of God. ¹⁰ Out of one mouth proceadeth blessing and cursyng. My brethren, these thinges ought not so to be. ¹¹ Doth a fountayne send forth at one place swete water and bytter also. ¹² Can the fygge tree (my brethren) beare olyue beries: ether a a vyne beare fygges? ¹³ So can no fountayne geue bothe salt water & fresshe also. Yf eny man be wyse & endued wt knowledge amonge you, let hym shewe his workes out of good conuersacion with mekenes of wysdome. ¹⁴ But yf ye haue bytter enuyeng & stryfe in your herte, reioyce not: nether be lyars agaynst the trueth: ¹⁵ For soch wysdome descendeth not from aboue: but is erthy, naturall, & diuelisshe. ¹⁶ For wher enuyeng & strife is, there is vnstablenes, & all manner of euyll workes. ¹⁷ But the wysdome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peasable, gentle, & easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good frutes, without iudging, without simulacion: ¹⁸ yee, & the frute of ryghtewesnes is sowen in peace, of them that mayntene peace.