James 3
3
Restraining the Tongue
1 Not many of you should aspire to be teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that those who teach will be evaluated with greater strictness.
2 For all of us fail in many respects. If someone does not fail in speech, he is a fully mature man, able also to exercise control over his whole body.
3 When we place a bit into the mouth of a horse so that it will submit to us, we direct the movement of its entire body.
4 Consider ships as well: Although they are very large and driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the helmsman intends.
5 In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it boasts of great accomplishments. See how a tiny spark can set an enormous forest on fire.
6 The tongue is also a fire, a sphere of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our bodily members as something that corrupts the whole person, ignites the entire course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is being tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is restless and destructive, saturated with deadly poison.
9 With it we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we speak curses against men who have been made according to the likeness of God.
10 From the same mouth come both praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring send out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening?
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh water.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show it by a life marked by good conduct, displaying deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
14 But if you cherish bitter jealousy and self-centered ambition in your heart, do not boast and do not deny the truth.
15 This kind of wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
16 For where jealousy and self-seeking ambition are present, disorder and every kind of corrupt practice will follow.
17 But the wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable and teachable, full of mercy and good fruits, free from favoritism and hypocrisy.
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who actively pursue peace.
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James 3: AFINTEXP
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
