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. ²For ^(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. ³If we put ^(E)bits 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 ^(F)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶And ^(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] 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, ^(I)full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^(J)who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,^[c] 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? ^(K)By his good conduct let him show his works ^(L)in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter ^(M)jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵This is not ^(N)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^(O)demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷But ^(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. ¹⁸And ^(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

Psalm 140

English Standard Version

Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

140 ^(A)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
    preserve me from ^(B)violent men,
²who plan evil things in their heart
    and ^(C)stir up wars continually.
³They make ^(D)their tongue sharp as ^(E)a serpent's,
    and ^(F)under their lips is the ^(G)venom of asps. Selah

⁴Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    preserve me from ^(H)violent men,
    who have planned to trip up my feet.
⁵The arrogant have ^(I)hidden a trap for me,
    and with cords they have spread ^(J)a net;^[a]
    beside the way they have set ^(K)snares for me. Selah

⁶^(L)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
    give ear to ^(M)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
⁷O Lord, my Lord, ^(N)the strength of my salvation,
    you have covered my head in the day of battle.
⁸^(O)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
    do not further their^[b] evil plot, or ^(P)they will be exalted! Selah

⁹As for the head of those who surround me,
    let ^(Q)the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
¹⁰Let ^(R)burning coals fall upon them!
    Let them be cast into fire,
    into miry pits, no more to rise!
¹¹Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
    let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!

¹²I know that the Lord will ^(S)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and ^(T)will execute justice for the needy.
¹³Surely ^(U)the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
^(V)the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Footnotes

Psalm 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net
Psalm 140:8 Hebrew his

Proverbs 16

English Standard Version

16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but ^(A)the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
²^(B)All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord ^(C)weighs the spirit.^[a]
³^(D)Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
⁴^(E)The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even ^(F)the wicked for the day of trouble.
⁵Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ^(G)an abomination to the Lord;
    ^(H)be assured, he will not go unpunished.
⁶By ^(I)steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by ^(J)the fear of the Lord one ^(K)turns away from evil.
⁷When a man's ways please the Lord,
    ^(L)he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
⁸^(M)Better is a little with righteousness
    than great revenues with injustice.
⁹^(N)The heart of man plans his way,
    but ^(O)the Lord establishes his steps.
¹⁰^(P)An oracle is on the lips of a king;
    his mouth does not sin in judgment.
¹¹^(Q)A just balance and scales are the Lord's;
    all the weights in the bag are his work.
¹²It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
    for ^(R)the throne is established by righteousness.
¹³^(S)Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.
¹⁴^(T)A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will ^(U)appease it.
¹⁵^(V)In the light of a king's face there is life,
    and his ^(W)favor is like ^(X)the clouds that bring the spring rain.
¹⁶^(Y)How much better to get wisdom than ^(Z)gold!
    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ^(AA)silver.
¹⁷The highway of the upright ^(AB)turns aside from evil;
    whoever guards his way preserves his life.
¹⁸^(AC)Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.
¹⁹^(AD)It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to ^(AE)divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰Whoever gives thought to the word^[b] ^(AF)will discover good,
    and blessed is he ^(AG)who trusts in the Lord.
²¹The wise of heart is called discerning,
    and sweetness of speech ^(AH)increases persuasiveness.
²²Good sense is ^(AI)a fountain of life to him who has it,
    but the instruction of fools is folly.
²³^(AJ)The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
    and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
²⁴^(AK)Gracious words are like ^(AL)a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and ^(AM)health to the body.
²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.^[c]
²⁶A worker's appetite works for him;
    his ^(AN)mouth urges him on.
²⁷^(AO)A worthless man plots evil,
    and his speech^[d] is like ^(AP)a scorching fire.
²⁸^(AQ)A dishonest man spreads strife,
    and ^(AR)a whisperer ^(AS)separates close friends.
²⁹A man of violence ^(AT)entices his neighbor
    and leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰Whoever winks his eyes plans^[e] ^(AU)dishonest things;
    he who ^(AV)purses his lips brings evil to pass.
³¹^(AW)Gray hair is ^(AX)a crown of glory;
    it ^(AY)is gained in a righteous life.
³²^(AZ)Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
    and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
³³^(BA)The lot is cast into the lap,
    but its every decision is ^(BB)from the Lord.

Footnotes

Proverbs 16:2 Or spirits
Proverbs 16:20 Or to a matter
Proverbs 16:25 Hebrew ways of death
Proverbs 16:27 Hebrew what is on his lips
Proverbs 16:30 Hebrew to plan

Isaiah 32

English Standard Version

A King Will Reign in Righteousness

32 Behold, ^(A)a king will reign in righteousness,
    and princes will rule in justice.
²^(B)Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
    a shelter from the storm,
^(C)like streams of water in a dry place,
    like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
³^(D)Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
    and the ears of those who hear will give attention.
⁴The heart of the hasty will understand and know,
    ^(E)and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.
⁵^(F)The fool will no more be called noble,
    nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.
⁶For ^(G)the fool speaks folly,
    and his heart is busy with iniquity,
to practice ungodliness,
    to utter error concerning the Lord,
^(H)to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
    and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
⁷As for the scoundrel—^(I)his devices are evil;
    he plans wicked schemes
to ruin the poor with lying words,
    even when the plea of the needy is right.
⁸But he who is noble plans noble things,
    and on noble things he stands.

Complacent Women Warned of Disaster

⁹^(J)Rise up, you women ^(K)who are at ease, hear my voice;
    you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.
¹⁰In little more than a year
    you will shudder, you complacent women;
for the grape harvest fails,
    the fruit harvest will not come.
¹¹Tremble, you women ^(L)who are at ease,
    shudder, you complacent ones;
^(M)strip, and make yourselves bare,
    ^(N)and tie sackcloth around your waist.
¹²^(O)Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vine,
¹³^(P)for the soil of my people
    growing up in thorns and briers,
^(Q)yes, for all the joyous houses
    in the exultant city.
¹⁴For the palace is forsaken,
    the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watchtower
    will become dens forever,
^(R)a joy of wild donkeys,
    a pasture of flocks;
¹⁵until ^(S)the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
    and ^(T)the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
¹⁶Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
    and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
¹⁷^(U)And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust^[a] forever.
¹⁸My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
    in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
¹⁹^(V)And it will hail when the forest falls down,
    ^(W)and the city will be utterly laid low.
²⁰^(X)Happy are you who sow beside all waters,
    who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.