James 3-5

New American Standard Bible

The Tongue Is a Fire

3 ^(A)Do not become teachers in large numbers, ^(B)my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a ^[a]stricter judgment. ² For we all ^(C)stumble in many ways. ^(D)If anyone does not stumble in ^[b]what he says, he is a ^(E)perfect man, able to ^[c](F)rein in the whole body as well. ³ Now ^(G)if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. ⁴ Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^(H)boasts of great things.

^(I)See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(J)the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among ^[d]our body’s parts as that which ^(K)defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our ^[e]life, and is set on fire by ^[f](L)hell. ⁷ For every ^[g]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human ^[h]race. ⁸ But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of ^(M)deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless ^(N)our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, ^(O)who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. ¹¹ Does a spring send out from the same opening both ^[i]fresh and bitter water? ^12 (P)Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce ^[j]fresh.

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? ^(Q)Let him show by his ^(R)good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter ^(S)jealousy and ^[k]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against ^(T)the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down ^(U)from above, but is ^(V)earthly, ^[l](W)natural, ^(X)demonic. ¹⁶ For where ^(Y)jealousy and ^[m]selfish ambition exist, ^[n]there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom ^(Z)from above is first ^(AA)pure, then ^(AB)peace-loving, ^(AC)gentle, ^[o]reasonable, ^(AD)full of mercy and good fruits, ^[p](AE)impartial, free of ^(AF)hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the ^(AG)fruit of righteousness is sown in peace ^[q]by those who make peace.

Things to Avoid

4 ^[r]What is the source of quarrels and ^(AH)conflicts among you? ^[s]Is the source not your pleasures that wage ^(AI)war in ^[t]your body’s parts? ² You lust and do not have, so you ^(AJ)commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and ^(AK)do not receive, because you ask ^[u]with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request ^[v]on your pleasures. ⁴ You ^(AL)adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with ^(AM)the world is ^(AN)hostility toward God? ^(AO)Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture ^(AP)says to no purpose, “^[w]He ^[x]jealously desires ^(AQ)the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But ^(AR)He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “^(AS)God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ^7 (AT)Submit therefore to God. But ^[y](AU)resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8 (AV)Come close to God and He will come close to you. ^(AW)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and ^(AX)purify your hearts, you ^(AY)[z]double-minded. ^9 (AZ)Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. ^10 (BA)Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

^11 (BB)Do not speak against one another, ^(BC)brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or ^(BD)judges his brother or sister, speaks against ^(BE)the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not ^(BF)a doer of the law but a judge of it. ¹² There is only one ^(BG)Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is ^(BH)able to save and to destroy; but ^(BI)who are you, ^[aa]judging your neighbor?

^13 (BJ)Come now, you who say, “^(BK)Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” ^14 [ab]Yet you do not know ^[ac]what your life will be like tomorrow. ^(BL)For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. ^15 [ad]Instead, you ought to say, “^(BM)If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your ^[ae]arrogance; ^(BN)all such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So ^(BO)for one who knows the ^[af]right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

Misuse of Riches

5 ^(BP)Come now, ^(BQ)you rich people, ^(BR)weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. ^2 (BS)Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will ^[ag]serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is ^(BT)in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! ⁴ Behold, ^(BU)the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and ^(BV)the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of ^(BW)the Lord ^[ah]of armies. ⁵ You have ^[ai](BX)lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have ^[aj]fattened your hearts in ^(BY)a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and ^[ak](BZ)put to death ^(CA)the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.

Exhortation

⁷ Therefore be patient, ^(CB)brothers and sisters, ^(CC)until the coming of the Lord. ^(CD)The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until ^[al]it gets ^(CE)the early and late rains. ^8 (CF)You too be patient; ^(CG)strengthen your hearts, for ^(CH)the coming of the Lord is ^(CI)near. ^9 (CJ)Do not ^[am]complain, ^(CK)brothers and sisters, against one another, so that you may not be judged; behold, ^(CL)the Judge is standing ^[an](CM)right at the ^[ao]door. ¹⁰ As an example, ^(CN)brothers and sisters, of suffering and patience, take ^(CO)the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ We count those ^(CP)blessed who endured. You have heard of ^(CQ)the ^[ap]endurance of Job and have seen ^(CR)the ^[aq]outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that ^(CS)the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

¹² But above all, ^(CT)my brothers and sisters, ^(CU)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but ^[ar]your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall under judgment.

¹³ Is anyone among you ^(CV)suffering? ^(CW)Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to ^(CX)sing praises. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for ^(CY)the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, ^[as](CZ)anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵ and the ^(DA)prayer of faith will ^[at](DB)restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will ^(DC)raise him up, and if he has committed sins, ^[au]they will be forgiven him. ¹⁶ Therefore, ^(DD)confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be ^(DE)healed. ^(DF)A ^[av]prayer of a righteous person, when it is ^[aw]brought about, can accomplish much. ¹⁷ Elijah was ^(DG)a man with a nature like ours, and ^(DH)he prayed ^[ax]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for ^(DI)three years and six months. ¹⁸ Then he ^(DJ)prayed again, and ^(DK)the sky ^[ay]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, ^(DL)if anyone among you strays from ^(DM)the truth and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will ^(DN)save his soul from death and ^(DO)cover a multitude of sins.