James 2:19–3:12

19 You believe that 1aGod is one. bYou do well; cthe demons also believe, and shudder.

20 But are you willing to recognize, ayou foolish fellow, that bfaith without works is useless?

21 aWas not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

22 You see that afaith was working with his works, and 1as a result of the bworks, faith was 2perfected;

23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “aAnd Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called bthe friend of God.

24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not aRahab the harlot also justified by works bwhen she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also afaith without works is dead.

Chapter 3

The Tongue Is a Fire

1 aLet not many of you become teachers, bmy brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a 1stricter judgment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 For every 1species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human 1race.

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

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

10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both 1fresh and bitter water?

12 aCan a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce 1fresh.