James 3

Wycliffe Bible

3 My brethren, do not ye be made many masters, witting that ye take the more doom.

² For all we offend in many things. If any man offendeth not in word, this is a perfect man; for also he may lead about all the body with a bridle [forsooth he may with a bridle lead about all the body].

³ For if we put bridles into horses' mouths, for to consent to us, and we lead about all the body of them.

⁴ And lo! ships, when they be great, and be driven of strong winds, yet they be borne about of a little rudder, where the moving of the governor will.

⁵ So also the tongue is but a little member, and raiseth great things. Lo! how little fire burneth a full great wood [Lo! how much fire kindleth how great a wood].

⁶ And our tongue is fire, the university of wickedness. The tongue is ordained in our members, which defouleth all the body; and it is inflamed of hell [and it is inflamed, or set afire, of hell], and inflameth the wheel of our birth.

⁷ And all the kind of beasts, and of fowls, and of serpents, and of others is chastised, and those be made tame of man's kind; [Soothly all kind of beasts, and fowls, and serpents, and of others, be overcome, or under-yoked, and be made tame, of mankind];

⁸ but no man may chastise the tongue, for it is an unpeaceable evil [soothly it is an unquiet, or unpeaceable, evil thing], and full of deadly venom.

⁹ In it we bless God, the Father, and in it we curse men, that be made to the likeness of God.

¹⁰ Of the same mouth passeth forth blessing and cursing [Of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing]. My brethren, it behooveth not that these things be done so.

¹¹ Whether a well of the same hole bringeth forth [bring forth] sweet and salt water?

¹² My brethren, whether a fig tree may make grapes, either a vine figs [or a vine figs]? So neither salt water may make sweet water.

¹³ Who is wise, and taught among you? show he of good living his working, in mildness of his wisdom [show he of good living his work, in mildness of wisdom].

¹⁴ That if ye have bitter envy, and strivings be in your hearts, do not ye have glory [That if ye have bitter zeal, or envy, and strives be in your hearts, do not ye glory], and be liars against the truth.

¹⁵ For this wisdom is not from above coming down, but earthly, and beastly, and fiendly [but earthly, beastly, fiendly].

¹⁶ For where is envy and strife, there is unsteadfastness and all depraved work [and all shrewd work].

¹⁷ But wisdom that is from above, first it is chaste, afterward peaceable, mild, able to be counseled [persuadable, that is, easy to treat, and to be treated], consenting to good things, full of mercy and of good fruits, deeming without feigning.

¹⁸ And the fruit of rightwiseness is sown in peace, to men that make peace.