James 3 ASV
Summary: James warns that not many should become teachers, since teachers are judged with greater strictness, and turns to an extended treatment of the tongue, comparing it to a small bit that steers a horse, a small rudder that steers a ship, and a small fire that sets a forest ablaze. He laments that the tongue, though it can bless the Lord, also curses people made in God's likeness, and that no human can fully tame it, concluding fresh water and salt water cannot flow from the same spring. The chapter closes by contrasting earthly, unspiritual, demonic "wisdom" marked by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition with the wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, and produces a harvest of righteousness sown in peace.
1Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment.
2For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
3Now if we put the horses’ bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.
4Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth.
5So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
6And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.
7For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind:
8but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.
9Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God:
10out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?
12can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.
13Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom.
14But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
15This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.
17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.
18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
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