James 3
New Catholic Bible
Exhortation To Practice Christian Living
Chapter 3
Avoid Faults of the Tongue.[a] 1 My brethren, not many of you should become teachers, for you know that we will face a more severe judgment. 2 For all of us fall short in many ways. Anyone who never makes a mistake in speech has reached perfection[b] and is able to control every part of his body.
3 When we put a bit into a horse’s mouth to make it obey us, we also guide its entire body. 4 Or think of ships. Even though they are large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder on whatever course the helmsman chooses. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small member but its pretensions are great.
Consider how a small fire can set ablaze a great forest. 6 And the tongue is also a fire, a world of evil that infects the entire body. It sets afire the entire course of our existence and is itself set on fire by Gehenna.
7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.[c]
10 Out of the same mouth flow blessings and curses. This should not be so, my brethren. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives or can a grapevine produce figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh water.
13 True Wisdom and Its Opposite.[d] Who among you is wise and understanding? Prove by your good life that your works are done with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if your hearts are filled with bitter envy and selfish ambition, do not be boastful in defiance of the truth.
15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disharmony and every type of wickedness.
17 However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, and considerate, full of mercy and good fruits, without any trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who are peacemakers.
Footnotes
- James 3:1 What is more beautiful and what more ugly than the tongue? All the wisdoms of the world repeat it, and the sages of the Old Testament more than once issued denunciations against inconsiderate words (see Prov 10:9; 13:3; 15:1-4; 18:21; 21:23; Sir 5:11—6:1). Christ had spoken of the evil that comes forth from the mouth of man (see Mk 7:21-23). There is a kind of passionate outburst of words that disfigures society; with a word one can disrupt an assembly, with a lie break a friendship or unleash a rivalry—in short, destroy the world’s harmony. We might say that an infernal power is at work; “Gehenna” was the cursed spot around Jerusalem that became a symbol for hell. The author is speaking especially to those who have the responsibility to teach in the assemblies. What a perversion it is to announce God’s praise yet do harm to one’s neighbor.
- James 3:2 Perfection: so difficult is the tongue to control that those who are successful gain control of themselves in all other areas of life as well.
- James 3:9 In the likeness of God: human beings are made in the likeness of God (see Gen 1:26f); hence, to curse them is tantamount to cursing God (see Gen 9:6).
- James 3:13 There is a way of life and a concept of relationships that are inspired by a sense of God. There is another that is nothing more than the uncontrolled expression of passions. The Old Testament thus opposed wisdom and folly (see Prov 2:6; 8:22-31; Wis 7:22—8:1; Sir 1:1-4; 24:3-22). Paul distinguished between the fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit (see Gal 5:22-25). The Christian faith is transmitted by mildness, conciliation, goodness, and peace.
James 3
New International Reader's Version
Control What You Say
3 My brothers and sisters, most of you shouldn’t become teachers. That’s because you know that those of us who teach will be held more accountable. 2 All of us get tripped up in many ways. Suppose someone is never wrong in what they say. Then they are perfect. They are able to keep their whole body under control.
3 We put a small piece of metal in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us. We can control the whole animal with it. 4 And how about ships? They are very big. They are driven along by strong winds. But they are steered by a very small rudder. It makes them go where the captain wants to go. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small part of a person’s body. But it talks big. Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire. 6 The tongue is also a fire. The tongue is the most evil part of the body. It makes the whole body impure. It sets a person’s whole way of life on fire. And the tongue itself is set on fire by hell.
7 People have tamed all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures. And they still tame them. 8 But no one can tame the tongue. It is an evil thing that never rests. It is full of deadly poison.
9 With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. With our tongues we curse people. We do it even though people have been created to be like God. 10 Praise and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it shouldn’t be this way. 11 Can fresh water and salt water flow out of the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? Of course not. And a saltwater spring can’t produce fresh water either.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Is anyone among you wise and understanding? That person should show it by living a good life. A wise person isn’t proud when they do good deeds. 14 But suppose your hearts are jealous and bitter. Suppose you are concerned only about getting ahead. Then don’t brag about it. And don’t say no to the truth. 15 Wisdom like this doesn’t come down from heaven. It belongs to the earth. It doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit. It comes from the devil. 16 Are you jealous? Are you concerned only about getting ahead? Then your life will be a mess. You will be doing all kinds of evil things.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. That’s the most important thing about it. And that’s not all. It also loves peace. It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair. It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not. 18 Those who make peace plant it like a seed. They will harvest a crop of right living.
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