James 3–4

The Untamable Tongue

3My brethren, ^alet not many of you become teachers, ^bknowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. ²For ^cwe all stumble in many things. ^dIf anyone does not stumble in word, ^ehe is a ¹perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. ³²Indeed, ^fwe put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. ⁴Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. ⁵Even so ^gthe tongue is a little member and ^hboasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! ⁶And ⁱthe tongue is a fire, a world of ³iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it ^jdefiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of ⁴nature; and it is set on fire by ⁵hell. ⁷For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. ⁸But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, ^kfull of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made ^lin the ⁶similitude of God. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? ¹²Can a ^mfig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? ⁷Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom

¹³ⁿWho is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have ^obitter envy and ⁸self-seeking in your hearts, ^pdo not boast and lie against the truth. ^15qThis wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶For ^rwhere envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷But ^sthe wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, ^twithout partiality ^uand without hypocrisy. ^18vNow the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Pride Promotes Strife

4Where do ¹wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure ^athat war in your members? ²You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and ²war. ³Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ^3bYou ask and do not receive, ^cbecause you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴⁴Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that ^dfriendship with the world is enmity with God? ^eWhoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ^f“The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

⁶But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

^g“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

Humility Cures Worldliness

⁷Therefore submit to God. ^hResist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ⁱDraw near to God and He will draw near to you. ^jCleanse your hands, you sinners; and ^kpurify your hearts, you double-minded. ^9lLament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ^10mHumble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Do Not Judge a Brother

¹¹ⁿDo not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother ^oand judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹²There is one ⁵Lawgiver, ^pwho is able to save and to destroy. ^qWho ⁶are you to judge ⁷another?

Do Not Boast About Tomorrow

¹³Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow ⁸we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; ¹⁴whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? ^rIt is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵Instead you ought to say, ^s“If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” ¹⁶But now you boast in your arrogance. ^tAll such boasting is evil.

¹⁷Therefore, ^uto him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.