James 3

Chapter 3

The Tongue Is a Fire

^1aLet not many of you become teachers, ^bmy brethren, knowing that as such we will incur 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 whole 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, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.

⁵So 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!

⁶And ^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.

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

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 both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

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

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

Wisdom from Above

¹³Who among you is wise and understanding? ^aLet him show by his ^bgood behavior his deeds 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 that which comes down ^afrom above, but is ^bearthly, ^1cnatural, ^ddemonic.

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

¹⁷But the wisdom ^afrom above is first ^bpure, then ^cpeaceable, ^dgentle, ¹reasonable, ^efull of mercy and good fruits, ^funwavering, without ^ghypocrisy.

¹⁸And the ^1aseed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace ²by those who make peace.