James 3–4

Chapter 3

¹Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater judgment. ²For we all often offend. If any one offend not in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body too. ³Behold, we put the bits in the mouths of the horses, that they may obey us, and we turn round their whole bodies. ⁴Behold also the ships, which are so great, and driven by violent winds, are turned about by a very small rudder, wherever the pleasure of the helmsman will. ⁵Thus also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how little a fire, how large a wood it kindles! ⁶and the tongue is fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set in our members, the defiler of the whole body, and which sets fire to the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell. ⁷For every species both of beasts and of birds, both of creeping things and of sea animals, is tamed and has been tamed by the human species; ⁸but the tongue can no one among men tame; it is an unsettled evil, full of death-bringing poison. ⁹Therewith bless we the Lord and Father, and therewith curse we men made after the likeness of God. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus. ¹¹Does the fountain, out of the same opening, pour forth sweet and bitter? ¹²Can, my brethren, a fig produce olives, or a vine figs? Neither can salt water make sweet water.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you; let him shew out of a good conversation his works in meekness of wisdom; ¹⁴but if ye have bitter emulation and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵This is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but earthly, natural, devilish. ¹⁶For where emulation and strife are, there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned. ¹⁸But the fruit of righteousness in peace is sown for them that make peace.

Chapter 4

¹Whence come wars and whence fightings among you? Is it not thence, —from your pleasures, which war in your members? ²Ye lust and have not: ye kill and are full of envy, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war; ye have not because ye ask not. ³Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask evilly, that ye may consume it in your pleasures. ⁴Adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore is minded to be the friend of the world is constituted enemy of God. ⁵Think ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously? ⁶But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God sets himself against the proud, but gives grace to the lowly. ⁷Subject yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. ⁹Be wretched, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he shall exalt you.

¹¹Speak not against one another, brethren. He that speaks against his brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if thou judgest the law, thou art not doer of the law, but judge. ¹²One is the lawgiver and judge, who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou who judgest thy neighbour? ¹³Go to now, ye who say, To-day or to-morrow will we go into such a city and spend a year there, and traffic and make gain, ¹⁴ye who do not know what will be on the morrow, (for what is your life? It is even a vapour, appearing for a little while, and then disappearing,) ¹⁵instead of your saying, If the Lord should so will and we should live, we will also do this or that. ¹⁶But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil. ¹⁷To him therefore who knows how to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.