James 3
English Standard Version
Taming the Tongue
3 (A)Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For (B)we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, (C)he is a perfect man, (D)able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put (E)bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look 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. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet (F)it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And (G)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, (H)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,[a] and set on fire by hell.[b] 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, (I)full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people (J)who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,[c] these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? (K)By his good conduct let him show his works (L)in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter (M)jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not (N)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, (O)demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But (P)the wisdom from above is first pure, then (Q)peaceable, gentle, open to reason, (R)full of mercy and good fruits, (S)impartial and (T)sincere. 18 And (U)a harvest of righteousness (V)is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Footnotes
- James 3:6 Or wheel of birth
- James 3:6 Greek Gehenna
- James 3:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12
Yaakov 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Not many of you, Achim b’Moshiach, should be Morim for Moshiach, als (since), as far as concerns Mishpat Hashem, you have da’as that we Messianic morim will have the chomer haDin (rigor of the Law) fall on us more severely.
2 For all of us stumble variously. If anyone as far as lashon hora is concerned, does not stumble, this one is an ish tamim able to bridle also the entire guf (body). [1Kgs 8:46; Ps 39:1; Prov 10:19]
3 And if we put bits into the mouths of susim (horses) to bring them into mishma’at (obedience), in just this way we direct their whole gufot (bodies).
4 Hinei, also the oniyot (ships), even though gedolot and driven by gales, are guided by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the one steering directs.
5 So also the lashon (tongue), an evar katon (small member) speaks of RAVREVAN ("boastful things" DANIEL 7:8,20). Hinei, an eish ketanah (small fire) and yet how great a forest it can set ablaze! [Ps 12:3,4; 73:8,9]
6 And the lashon is an Eish, the lashon is made an Olam HaAvel (World of Iniquity) among our evarim (members), defiling with a stain kol haGuf (whole body), and setting ablaze the course of life, and is itself set by eish in Gehinnom. [MISHLE 16:27]
7 For every species both of wild animals and birds, reptiles and marine creatures is tamed and has been tamed by humankind.
8 But the Lashon no one of Bnei Adam is able to tame, an uncontrollable ra’ah (evil), full of deadly zuhamah (contamination).
9 With this we say a bracha to Hashem, Adoneinu and Avoteynu, and with this we put a kelalah (curse) on Bnei Adam, who have been created according to the demut Elohim [Gn 1:26,27).
10 Out of the same PEH comes forth bracha and also kelalah. My Achim b’Moshiach, these things ought not to be.
11 Surely not out of the same makor (fountain) pours forth mayim both sweet and bitter?
12 Surely an etz te’enah (fig tree) cannot yield olives, my Achim b’Moshiach, or a grape vine figs? Neither can salt water yield sweet water.
13 Who has chochmah and binah among you? Let him show by his hitnahagut hatovah (good conduct) that the ma’asim of him are of the shiflut (lowliness) of chochmah.
14 But if bitter kina (jealousy) you have and anochiyut (selfishness) in your levavot, do not boast and speak sheker against HaEmes.
15 This is not the Chochmah coming down and descending from above, but is of the Olam Hazeh, of this world and of shedim.
16 For where kina and anochiyut are, there is tohu vavohu (disorder, chaos) and every ra’ah.
17 But the chochmah from above is berishonah (in the first place) tehorah (pure), then ohevet shalom (peaceloving), then eidel (gentle) and considerate, then full of rachamim and p’ri tov, and without maso panim and tzevi’ut.
18 And the p’ri haTzedek is shalom sown by the ones making shalom. (Prov 11:18; Isa 32:17; Hos 10:12]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International