James 3-4New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Tongue Is a Fire

3 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a ^[a]stricter judgment. ² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in ^[b]what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. ³ Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our ^[c]life, and is set on fire by ^[d]hell. ⁷ For every ^[e]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human ^[f]race. ⁸ But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. ¹¹ Does a fountain send out from the same opening both ^[g]fresh and bitter water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce ^[h]fresh.

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and ^[i]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, ^[j]natural, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and ^[k]selfish ambition exist, ^[l]there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, ^[m]reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the ^[n]seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace ^[o]by those who make peace.

Things to Avoid

4 ^[p]What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? ^[q]Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? ² You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask ^[r]with wrong motives, so that you may spend it ^[s]on your pleasures. ⁴ You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “^[t]He ^[u]jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

¹¹ Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

¹³ Come now, you who say, “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 [v]Yet you do not know ^[w]what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. ^15 [x]Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your ^[y]arrogance; all such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Therefore, to one who knows the ^[z]right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.