< James 3 >

1 Many teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive,
Do not be eager, my brethren, for many among you to become teachers; for you know that we teachers shall undergo severer judgement.
2 for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one [is] a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;
For we often stumble and fall, all of us. If there is any one who never stumbles in speech, that man has reached maturity of character and is able to curb his whole nature.
3 lo, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying us, and their whole body we turn about;
Remember that we put the horses' bit into their mouths to make them obey us, and so we turn their whole bodies round.
4 lo, also the ships, being so great, and by fierce winds being driven, are led about by a very small helm, whithersoever the impulse of the helmsman doth counsel,
So too with ships, great as they are, and often driven along by strong gales, yet they can be steered with a very small rudder in whichever direction the caprice of the man at the helm chooses.
5 so also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle!
In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames.
6 and the tongue [is] a fire, the world of the unrighteousness, so the tongue is set in our members, which is spotting our whole body, and is setting on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the gehenna. (Geenna g1067)
And the tongue is a fire. That world of iniquity, the tongue, is placed within us spotting and soiling our whole nature, and setting the whole round of our lives on fire, being itself set on fire by Gehenna. (Geenna g1067)
7 For every nature, both of beasts and of fowls, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the human nature,
For brute nature under all its forms--beasts and birds, reptiles and fishes--can be subjected and kept in subjection by human nature.
8 and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,
But the tongue no man or woman is able to tame. It is an ever-busy mischief, and is full of deadly poison.
9 with it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God;
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in God's likeness.
10 out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;
Out of the same mouth there proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be.
11 doth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter?
In a fountain, are fresh water and bitter sent forth from the same opening?
12 is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water [is able] to make.
Can a fig-tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine yield figs? No; and neither can salt water yield sweet.
13 Who [is] wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom,
Which of you is a wise and well-instructed man? Let him prove it by a right life with conduct guided by a wisely teachable spirit.
14 and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth;
But if in your hearts you have bitter feelings of envy and rivalry, do not speak boastfully and falsely, in defiance of the truth.
15 this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like,
That is not the wisdom which comes down from above: it belongs to earth, to the unspiritual nature, and to evil spirits.
16 for where zeal and rivalry [are], there is insurrection and every evil matter;
For where envy and rivalry are, there also are unrest and every vile deed.
17 and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: —
The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceful, courteous, not self-willed, full of compassion and kind actions, free from favouritism and from all insincerity.
18 and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace.
And peace, for those who strive for peace, is the seed of which the harvest is righteousness.

< James 3 >