James 3 YLT
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.
1Many teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive,
2for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;
3lo, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying us, and their whole body we turn about;
4lo, also the ships, being so great, and by fierce winds being driven, are led about by a very small helm, whithersoever the impulse of the helmsman doth counsel,
5so also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle!
6and the tongue is a fire, the world of the unrighteousness, so the tongue is set in our members, which is spotting our whole body, and is setting on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the gehenna.
7For every nature, both of beasts and of fowls, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the human nature,
8and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,
9with it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God;
10out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;
11doth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter?
12is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water is able to make.
13Who is wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom,
14and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth;
15this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like,
16for where zeal and rivalry are, there is insurrection and every evil matter;
17and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: --
18and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace.
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