James 3
New Testament for Everyone
Taming the tongue
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters; you know that we will be judged more severely. 2 All of us make many mistakes, after all. If anyone makes no mistakes in what they say, such a person is a fully complete human being, capable of keeping firm control over the whole body as well. 3 We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, and then we can direct their whole bodies. 4 Consider, too, the case of large ships; it takes strong winds to blow them along, but one small rudder will turn them whichever way the helmsman desires and decides. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a little member but boasts great things. See how small a fire it takes to set a large forest ablaze! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is a world of injustice, with its place established right there among our members. It defiles the whole body; it sets the wheel of nature ablaze, and is itself set ablaze by hell. 7 Every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, you see, can be tamed, and has been tamed, by humans. 8 But no single human is able to tame the tongue. It is an irrepressible evil, full of deadly poison. 9 By it we bless the Lord and father; and by it we curse humans who are made in God’s likeness! 10 Blessing and curses come out of the same mouth! My dear family, it isn’t right that it should be like that. 11 Does a spring put out both sweet and bitter water from the same source? 12 Dear friends, can a fig tree bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water yield fresh.
True and false wisdom
13 Who is wise and discerning among you? Such a person should, by their upright behavior, display their works in the humility of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and contention in your hearts, don’t boast, and tell lies against the truth. 15 This isn’t the wisdom that comes from above. It is earthly, merely human, coming from the world of demons. 16 For where there is jealousy and contention, there you will get unruly behavior and every kind of evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above is first holy, then peaceful, gentle, compliant, filled with mercy and good fruits, unbiased, sincere. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3
International Children’s Bible
Controlling the Things We Say
3 My brothers, not many of you should become teachers. You know that we who teach will be judged more strictly than others. 2 We all make many mistakes. If there were a person who never said anything wrong, he would be perfect. He would be able to control his whole body, too. 3 We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. We can control their whole bodies. 4 It is the same with ships. A ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship. The man who controls the rudder decides where the ship will go. The ship goes where the man wants. 5 It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about doing great things.
A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. It starts a fire that influences all of life. The tongue gets this fire from hell. 7 People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them. 8 But no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil. It is full of poison that can kill. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people. And God made them like himself. 10 Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers, this should not happen. 11 Do good and bad water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree make olives? Can a grapevine make figs? No! And a well full of salty water cannot give good water.
True Wisdom
13 Is there anyone among you who is truly wise and understanding? Then he should show his wisdom by living right. He should do good things without being proud. A wise person does not brag. 14 But if you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, you have no reason to brag. Your bragging is a lie that hides the truth. 15 That kind of “wisdom” does not come from God. That “wisdom” comes from the world. It is not spiritual. It is from the devil. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. Then it is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help those who are troubled and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. 18 When people work for peace in a peaceful way, they receive the good result of their right living.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
