James 3–4

CHAPTER 3

The Tongue Is a Fire

^1aDo not, many of you, become teachers, ^bmy brothers, knowing that we will receive a ¹stricter judgment.

²For we all ^astumble in many ways. ^bIf anyone does not stumble in ¹what he says, he is a ^cperfect man, able to ^dbridle the entire body as well.

³Now ^aif we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.

⁴Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills.

⁵So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^aboasts of great things.

^bBehold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

⁶And ^athe tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which ^bdefiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our ¹existence, and is set on fire by ^2chell.

⁷For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.

⁸But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of ^adeadly poison.

⁹With it we bless ^aour Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, ^bwho have been made in the likeness of God.

¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

¹¹Does a fountain pour forth from the same opening ¹fresh and bitter water?

^12aCan a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can saltwater produce ¹fresh.

Wisdom from Above

¹³Who among you is wise and understanding? ^aLet him show by his ^bgood conduct his works in the gentleness of wisdom.

¹⁴But if you have bitter ^ajealousy and ¹selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against ^bthe truth.

¹⁵This wisdom is not coming down ^afrom above, but is ^bearthly, ^1cnatural, ^ddemonic.

¹⁶For where ^ajealousy and ¹selfish ambition exist, ²there is disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷But the wisdom ^afrom above is first ^bpure, then ^cpeaceable, ^dconsiderate, submissive, ^efull of mercy and good fruits, ^fwithout doubting, without ^ghypocrisy.

¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness ^ais sown in peace ¹by those who make peace.

CHAPTER 4

Draw Near to God

¹¹What is the source of quarrels and ^aconflicts among you? ²Is not the source your pleasures that wage ^bwar in your members?

²You lust and do not have, so you ^amurder. You are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

³You ask and ^ado not receive, because you ask ¹with wrong motives, so that you may spend it ²on your pleasures.

⁴You ^aadulteresses, do you not know that friendship with ^bthe world is ^cenmity toward God? ^dTherefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world sets himself as an enemy of God.

⁵Or do you think that the Scripture ^aspeaks to no purpose: “¹He ²jealously desires ^bthe Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?

⁶But ^aHe gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “^bGod is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

^7aBe subject therefore to God. ^bResist the devil and he will flee from you.

^8aDraw near to God and He will draw near to you. ^bCleanse your hands, you sinners, and ^cpurify your hearts, you ^ddouble-minded.

^9aBe miserable and mourn and cry. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

^10aHumble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

^11aDo not slander one another, ^bbrothers. He who slanders a brother or ^cjudges his brother, slanders ^dthe law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not ^ea doer of the law but a judge of it.

¹²There is only one ^aLawgiver and Judge, the One who is ^bable to save and to destroy. But ^cwho are you who judge your neighbor?

Life Is a Vapor

^13aCome now, you who say, “^bToday or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”

¹⁴¹Yet you do not know ²what your life will be like tomorrow. ^aYou are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

¹⁵¹Instead, you ought to say, “^aIf the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

¹⁶But as it is, you boast in your ¹arrogance. ^aAll such boasting is evil.

¹⁷Therefore, ^ato one who knows to do the ¹right thing and does not do it, to him it is sin.