James 3–5

Taming the Tongue

3Not many of you should become teachers,^e my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged^f more strictly.^{g 2}We all stumble^h in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they sayⁱ is perfect,^j able to keep their whole body in check.^k

³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.^{l 4}Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.^m Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire,ⁿ a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body,^o sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.^p

⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.^q

⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.^{r 10}Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?^s Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it^t by their good life, by deeds^u done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition^v in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.^{w 15}Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven^x but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.^{y 16}For where you have envy and selfish ambition,^z there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven^a is first of all pure; then peace-loving,^b considerate, submissive, full of mercy^c and good fruit, impartial and sincere.^{d 18}Peacemakers^e who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.^f

Submit Yourselves to God

4What causes fights and quarrels^g among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle^h within you? ²You desire but do not have, so you kill.ⁱ You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive,^j because you ask with wrong motives,^k that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴You adulterous^l people,^a don’t you know that friendship with the world^m means enmity against God?ⁿ Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.^{o 5}Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^b?^{p 6}But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”^cq

⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,^r and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you.^s Wash your hands,^t you sinners, and purify your hearts,^u you double-minded.^{v 9}Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.^{w 10}Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.^x

¹¹Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.^y Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^d or judges them^z speaks against the law^a and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,^b but sitting in judgment on it. ¹²There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,^c the one who is able to save and destroy.^d But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?^e

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³Now listen,^f you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”^{g 14}Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.^{h 15}Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,ⁱ we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.^{j 17}If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.^k

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5Now listen,^l you rich people,^m weep and wailⁿ because of the misery that is coming on you. ²Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.^{o 3}Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.^{p 4}Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers^q who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries^r of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.^{s 5}You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves^t in the day of slaughter.^{au 6}You have condemned and murdered^v the innocent one,^w who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.^x See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting^y for the autumn and spring rains.^{z 8}You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming^a is near.^{b 9}Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,^c or you will be judged. The Judge^d is standing at the door!^e

¹⁰Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets^f who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹As you know, we count as blessed^g those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance^h and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.ⁱ The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.^j

¹²Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.^k

The Prayer of Faith

¹³Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.^l Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.^{m 14}Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the eldersⁿ of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil^o in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith^p will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins^q to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^r The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^s

¹⁷Elijah was a human being, even as we are.^t He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.^{u 18}Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.^v

¹⁹My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth^w and someone should bring that person back,^{x 20}remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save^y them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.^z