James 2:17-3:12

New American Standard Bible

¹⁷ In the same way, ^(A)faith also, if it has no works, is ^[a]dead, being by itself.

^18 (B)But someone ^[b]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your ^(C)faith without the works, and I will ^(D)show you my faith ^(E)by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that ^[c](F)God is one. ^(G)You do well; ^(H)the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to acknowledge, ^(I)you foolish person, that ^(J)faith without works is useless? ^21 (K)Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that ^(L)faith was working with his works, and ^[d]as a result of the ^(M)works, faith was ^[e]perfected; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “^(N)And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a ^(O)friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, was ^(P)Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also ^(Q)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also ^(R)faith without works is dead.

The Tongue Is a Fire

3 ^(S)Do not become teachers in large numbers, ^(T)my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a ^[f]stricter judgment. ² For we all ^(U)stumble in many ways. ^(V)If anyone does not stumble in ^[g]what he says, he is a ^(W)perfect man, able to ^[h](X)rein in the whole body as well. ³ Now ^(Y)if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. ⁴ Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^(Z)boasts of great things.

^(AA)See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(AB)the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among ^[i]our body’s parts as that which ^(AC)defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our ^[j]life, and is set on fire by ^[k](AD)hell. ⁷ For every ^[l]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human ^[m]race. ⁸ But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of ^(AE)deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless ^(AF)our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, ^(AG)who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. ¹¹ Does a spring send out from the same opening both ^[n]fresh and bitter water? ^12 (AH)Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce ^[o]fresh.