James 3
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Taming the Tongue
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,[a] for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature,[b] and is itself set on fire by hell.[c] 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters,[d] this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters,[e] yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for[f] those who make peace.
Footnotes
- James 3:1 Gk brothers
- James 3:6 Or wheel of birth
- James 3:6 Gk Gehenna
- James 3:10 Gk My brothers
- James 3:12 Gk my brothers
- James 3:18 Or by
Yaakov 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Not many of you, Achim b’Moshiach, should be Morim for Moshiach, als (since), as far as concerns Mishpat Hashem, you have da’as that we Messianic morim will have the chomer haDin (rigor of the Law) fall on us more severely.
2 For all of us stumble variously. If anyone as far as lashon hora is concerned, does not stumble, this one is an ish tamim able to bridle also the entire guf (body). [1Kgs 8:46; Ps 39:1; Prov 10:19]
3 And if we put bits into the mouths of susim (horses) to bring them into mishma’at (obedience), in just this way we direct their whole gufot (bodies).
4 Hinei, also the oniyot (ships), even though gedolot and driven by gales, are guided by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the one steering directs.
5 So also the lashon (tongue), an evar katon (small member) speaks of RAVREVAN ("boastful things" DANIEL 7:8,20). Hinei, an eish ketanah (small fire) and yet how great a forest it can set ablaze! [Ps 12:3,4; 73:8,9]
6 And the lashon is an Eish, the lashon is made an Olam HaAvel (World of Iniquity) among our evarim (members), defiling with a stain kol haGuf (whole body), and setting ablaze the course of life, and is itself set by eish in Gehinnom. [MISHLE 16:27]
7 For every species both of wild animals and birds, reptiles and marine creatures is tamed and has been tamed by humankind.
8 But the Lashon no one of Bnei Adam is able to tame, an uncontrollable ra’ah (evil), full of deadly zuhamah (contamination).
9 With this we say a bracha to Hashem, Adoneinu and Avoteynu, and with this we put a kelalah (curse) on Bnei Adam, who have been created according to the demut Elohim [Gn 1:26,27).
10 Out of the same PEH comes forth bracha and also kelalah. My Achim b’Moshiach, these things ought not to be.
11 Surely not out of the same makor (fountain) pours forth mayim both sweet and bitter?
12 Surely an etz te’enah (fig tree) cannot yield olives, my Achim b’Moshiach, or a grape vine figs? Neither can salt water yield sweet water.
13 Who has chochmah and binah among you? Let him show by his hitnahagut hatovah (good conduct) that the ma’asim of him are of the shiflut (lowliness) of chochmah.
14 But if bitter kina (jealousy) you have and anochiyut (selfishness) in your levavot, do not boast and speak sheker against HaEmes.
15 This is not the Chochmah coming down and descending from above, but is of the Olam Hazeh, of this world and of shedim.
16 For where kina and anochiyut are, there is tohu vavohu (disorder, chaos) and every ra’ah.
17 But the chochmah from above is berishonah (in the first place) tehorah (pure), then ohevet shalom (peaceloving), then eidel (gentle) and considerate, then full of rachamim and p’ri tov, and without maso panim and tzevi’ut.
18 And the p’ri haTzedek is shalom sown by the ones making shalom. (Prov 11:18; Isa 32:17; Hos 10:12]
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