James 3
5. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Scripture always says so much with so little effort. Here we have volumes of social sciences, decades of psychological studies and writings, centuries of societal norms of morality and ethics condensed into a simple and understandable lay of scripture.
Also for context, Jesus said in Matthew 15:11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. And also in verses
18. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Here is the summation of these Scriptures, our evil comes from within, the state of our soul and life is the result of internally personalized decisions. Yes, there are often external intricacies each of us encounter, but how we deal with those is our personal decision and choice. So as Paul stated in verse 13…let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
God Bless