James 3
3
Speak Wisely
1Brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers. You know that we who teach will be judged more severely.
2All of us make a lot of mistakes. If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect. He would be able to control everything he does. 3We put bits in the mouths of horses to make them obey us, and we have control over everything they do. 4The same thing is true for ships. They are very big and are driven by strong winds. Yet, by using small rudders, pilots steer ships wherever they want them to go. 5In the same way the tongue is a small part of the body, but it can brag about doing important things.
A large forest can be set on fire by a little flame. 6The tongue is that kind of flame. It is a world of evil among the parts of our bodies, and it completely contaminates our bodies. The tongue sets our lives on fire, and is itself set on fire from hell. 7People have tamed all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures. 8Yet, no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison.
9With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God’s likeness. 10Praise and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen! 11Do clean and polluted water flow out of the same spring? 12My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? In the same way, a pool of salt water can’t produce fresh water.
Live Wisely
13Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don’t brag. Don’t say that you are wise when it isn’t true. 15That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic. 16Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil.
17However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere. 18A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers.
Currently Selected:
James 3: GW
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
James 3
3
Taming the Tongue
1 #
Matt. 23:8; [Rom. 2:20, 21; 1 Tim. 1:7] Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For #1 Kgs. 8:46; Prov. 20:9; Eccles. 7:20; 1 John 1:8 we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, #[Matt. 12:37] he is a perfect man, #See ch. 1:26able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put #Ps. 32:9bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet #[Ps. 12:3, 4; 73:8, 9]it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And #Ps. 120:2-4; Prov. 16:27 the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, #Matt. 15:18staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,#3:6 Or wheel of birth and set on fire by hell.#3:6 Greek Gehenna 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, #Ps. 140:3; Eccles. 10:11; Rom. 3:13full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people #See Gen. 1:26who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,#3:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12 these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above
13Who is wise and understanding among you? #ch. 2:18 By his good conduct let him show his works #ch. 1:21in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter #ver. 16; Acts 5:17; Rom. 2:8; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:20; Phil. 1:17; 2:3; [Rom. 13:13]jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15This is not #ch. 1:17 the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, #[1 Kgs. 22:22; 2 Thess. 2:9, 10; 1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 2:24]demonic. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But #[1 Cor. 2:6, 7] the wisdom from above is first pure, then #Heb. 12:11 peaceable, gentle, open to reason, #[Luke 6:36] full of mercy and good fruits, #ch. 2:4 (Gk.) impartial and #Rom. 12:9sincere. 18And #Prov. 11:18; Isa. 32:17; Hos. 10:12; Amos 6:12; Phil. 1:11 a harvest of righteousness #Matt. 5:9; Gal. 6:7, 8is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: