Be ye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater judgment.2 For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. He is able also with a bridle to lead about the whole body.3 For if we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.4 Behold also ships, whereas they are great, and are driven by strong winds, yet are they turned about with a small helm, whithersoever the force of the governor willeth.5 Even so the tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood.6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body, and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell.†7 For every nature of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of the rest, is tamed, and hath been tamed, by the nature of man:8 But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison.†9 By it we bless God and the Father: and by it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
If you love life, fulfill the commandment of life. "The one who loves me," said Jesus, "keeps my commandments," and the first commandment is this: "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile." For the sin which is caused by the tongue is very active and many-sided, being active in wrath, lust, hypocrisy, judgment and deception. Do we need to recall the many names which are given to sins of the tongue? For from it come slanders, coarse jokes, idiocies, irrelevant accusations, bitterness, swearing, false witness—the tongue is the creator of all these evil things and more.
Save me, O Lord, for there is now no saint: truths are decayed from among the children of men.3 They have spoken vain things every one to his neighbour: with deceitful lips, and with a double heart have they spoken.4 May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things.5 Who have said: We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?7 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth refined seven times.8 Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us: and keep us from this generation for ever.
Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it. For [the Scripture] saith in a certain place, "This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." [Isaiah 29:13] And again: "They bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart." [Psalm 62:4] And again it saith, "They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant." [Psalm 78:36-37] "Let the deceitful lips become silent," [and "let the Lord destroy all the lying lips, ] and the boastful tongue of those who have said, Let us magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy, will I now arise, saith the Lord: I will place him in safety; I will deal confidently with him." [Psalm 12:3-5]
And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white.3 And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.†5 For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear.6 And there was a cloud overshadowing them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved son; hear ye him.7 And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them.8 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead.9 And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead.10 And they asked him, saying: Why then do the Pharisees and scribes say that Elias must come first?11 Who answering, said to them: Elias, when he shall come first, shall restore all things; and as it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things and be despised.†12 But I say to you, that Elias also is come, (and they have done to him whatsoever they would,) as it is written of him.13 And coming to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes disputing with them.
(in Matt. tom. xii. 39) Or else, fullers upon earth may by a moral interpretation be considered to be the wise of this world, who are thought to adorn even their foul understandings and doctrines with a false whitening drawn from their own minds. But their skill as fullers cannot produce any thing like a discourse which shews forth the brightness of spiritual conceptions in the unpolished words of Scripture, which by many are despised.
(in Matt. tom. xii. 43) After the shewing of the mystery on the mount, the Lord commanded His disciples, as they were coming down from the mount, not to reveal His transfiguration, before the glory of His Passion and Resurrection; wherefore it is said, And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)